Chương 39: Meeting 1

The convoy traveled with a speed only the elite of each kingdom could maintain. Traveling fairly light with what they could carry between them and only a handful of support staff they made excellent time crossing what turned out to be rocky terrain with very seldom water crossings. This land was barren with no place for very many plants so it had very few animals. Mostly flat meant speed. Random rock outcroppings and rivers made wagons and less agile cattle impractical.

The six kingdoms had thrown together a hasty alliance for a singular mission to the center of the continent. Vastly unexplored meant risk was high and speed meant armies were not useful. Lord Hesties was followed closely by Lady Julie and their respective escorts. Joined by a small caravan of around 50 individuals, they crossed the landmass in as straight a path as they could to the most distant place away from any other kingdom. The investment from each kingdom involved was different.

Negotiations hadn't taken long as there was little risk with so many kingdoms involved. Leaders were not willing to miss out on the potential, and not having to commit themselves nor their armies meant the risk to reward math was simple. Hesties offered to lead the most trusted elite from the six kingdoms into the deep untraveled region. The mission was simple. Find the gate and establish contact if there is already a ruling entity on the other side. Peace and trade would be the goal.

The elite could hold a choke point like a single door indefinitely if they ran into a hostile force. So using a scroll to gather a six kingdom army would take time but wasn't impossible. During the weeks of travel the unit had grown confident with each other's skill set. These were powerful veterans who could solve most problems themselves. Hesties found leading this unit to be quite simple.

Everyone here respected his choice to leave his kingdom on this adventure instead of sending a small elite group to risk their lives in his place. Having dealt with annoying nobles constantly in the past had made him forget how much simpler command could be when the people around him weren't posturing for power but instead preparing for exterior conflict. Peace and comfort for decades had lead to weak leaders finding their way into powerful positions.

The group found an extra tall rock formation that turned out to be their goal. Swing it from a great distance had made the convoy change direction by just a bit. The search area was very large so they were seeking any sign of a flat enough place on an ipright surface that would fit what amounted to a door. The flat rock terrain did not lend itself to this kind of situation. The huge rock formation was essentially a narrow plateau less than a half mile wide. It stood around 50 feet tall.

The group had seen a few features similar on the trip and had searched each one. Coming to the formation the company split in two and circled the rock formation intending to meet on the other side and continue on their journey. When Hestie reached the other side of the rock formation he could not see the other half of their force so he proceeded with his 25 person group to find them. Circling around the formation he did quickly come upon the other party and noticed them holding position in a half circle.

By the time he reached the circle it was clear they were holding a defensive posture. Coming to the group and seeing the well armored man clearly working on a gate made him hesitate. It seemed the elite group had found the situation just as unbelievable and did not know how to approach the man. His armor was a glistening pearl white with beautiful engravings. He worked at a speed the elite among this group could barely see.

With blurred fingers he slashed new symbols into the rune work expanding the exterior of the gate by about a foot on either side. Hesties took the situation in and waved everyone to relax and spread out to set up some sort of camp. They may not know this person but this was their missions goal. So long as this man didnt threaten them they would show the same respect.

Cyrendale focused on his task knowing the gathering force around him was no real threat. This world did not have an advanced enough civilization to create cultivators on his level yet. His current task was more important than these people. Expanding the rune work had become easy over the last two years of travel between worlds. The first few worlds took negotiations with the leadership and explaining multiple times the dangers and why he needed to update them.

A layer for defense to prevent the mana signal from splashing across the void when the gate is used. Another layer to create a signal for advanced civilization to locate the gates easier. And a final layer preventing anyone with a finished core similar to him from using the gate at all. This in theory would promote growth between worlds while preventing the peak powerhouses from single handedly controlling several weaker worlds. That would cause stagnation.

The entire goal had been to force growth to help repel the new threat. He finished his last rune causing the gate to flash once before settling back into its usual black void. Putting away his engraving tool he turned to consult with whomever these people were.

"I'm impressed you found a gate. It seems you were specifically looking for this one. How did that come about?" Hesties jumped at the quick and casual transition Cyrendal had made from working with determination to conversation.

"We had a creature from another world cross through another gate on the planet. Realizing the potential for resources and the threat another world could cause, we gathered a force to find as many as we can. This is the second gate we have found on the planet." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Oh you found both! Great work. There are no more, I didn't want too many connections so I just put two on each world." With shock apparent on his face Hesties continued.

"I appreciate that information. We will revisit our approach."

"My name is Cyrendale. I come from another world entirely unconnected to your own. I do not wish to spend a lot of time here talking with you but I need to warn your people. Would you carry my message to the rest of your world?" Hesties looked around to the many elite representatives around him before nodding.

"Alright then just to be clear, these gates were not meant to be used this way. I made them to promote exploration not conquest. Giving the threat from the void I have had to go back and make adjustments to each individual gate. While it is impressive you have located both the gates on your world, I will express how weak you all are. I have finished all 25 solid layers and compressed them into a single solid state. No world in the next 10 gates away from yours has a person on this level.

While that may settle your worries about hostile forces I will be crushing those dreams. My world faces an invasion that our planet sized kingdom with nearly a dozen of my peers has yet to repel. I imagine it will be over a hundred years before this invasion reaches your world. You should begin preparing. Here." He takes a book from seemingly nowhere and holds it out for Hesties to take.

"This is a cultivating guide that should assist your world. Those of your people already at the solid stage are stuck unfortunately. But if you give this information out then your next generation will achieve heights on par with my people." Taking the small book with wide eyes Hesties replied.

"Thank you sir, how could we repay you for this tho?" With a smirk Cyrendale added.

"You cannot. Honestly you will likely never see me again. I'm going to one more gate then I'm going home. I will likely give my life to the end of this invasion. While that will likely take another 50 to 100 years. I see no reason to come back here. The only thing I ask is when you develop multiple cultivators above the 15th solid layer, send them thru the gates to seek out the more powerful worlds. The fight should trickle down from the most powerful worlds to the weakest. Yours is really close to the weakest.

If we can send forces from the weakest worlds up the ladder then maybe we can flood the invaders out. Understanding the severity of that request I am willing to part with a compass for your people that will point to large mana resources. This device will lead your people to more power and also to other gates should they travel the worlds. I will give you one. It is up to you to either recreate the device or make maps for future generations."

Reaching out with a palm sized shiny device Cyrendale hands it over then begins walking through the group as it parts around him.

"Goodbye and good luck. I'm off to the other gate on this world." Hesties yells out with a hand raised "Wair, sir, before you leave. The other gate has a camp around it. When you get there inform them that Lord Hesties has sent you. That will prevent any conflict. They were beaten pretty handedly by whatever lies on the other side and may be hostile to new faces."

"Much appreciated." With a final wave he leaped off the rocky ground and literally ran through the sky. With loud pops as his feet pushed of the air faster than anyone could see, he sped off into the distance.

"How the hell!"

"What!"

"Holy shit he's flying!" Several of the elite shouted out random expressions at seeing this unexpected ability.

"Everyone gather around. Bring out your scroll for their kingdoms leadership! We need to share this book and information as quickly as possible. Nobody knew there were 25 layers or anything after. Our highest is two. Our peoples all need this information and I will not have kingdoms fighting to keep it secret. We disperse it to all equally and hope the leadership spreads it to the people.

Warn your leadership that if they do withhold this from their people then eventually the other kingdoms with have a large advantage over them. Let the petty tyrants doom themselves to a vassal state." Hesties was immediately surrounded by six scroll carriers who activated their scrolls and waited for a response from their rulers before giving him the nod to begin. He sat there reading the book aloud after explaining the situation and waiting for each ruler to gather a scribe to copy his words.

Hesties nearly broke his teeth when he got to the section describing meridian expansion techniques. This one area had created a bottleneck for most worlds. The most advanced cultivators would attest that the meridians open fully was the best possible start, but the lack of resources had that step pushed to years worth of work. Apparently the big problem was the pain.

Anyone with a more than a few drops that attempted the best technique would likely damage their meridians and may never recover their ability to push mana outside their body all together. Only those in two drops or below could rush the meridians. That was usually the youngest and they had been taught for generations that it wasn't possible without vast resources. This book changed that entirely. Hesties realized he had likely less than 20 years before some random kid from the street reached the first solid layer.

If this wasn't handled properly the world as they knew it would implode from all the powerful individuals.

"My kingdom will establish a training camp for those who wish to be the future travelers. We will welcome any of your youth that wishes to take on that task." Hesties declared before letting the scrolls go dim and everyone parted ways for the evening. There was so much to think about. None of the elite could use anything in the book. It was all based on the early years. Building a foundation a thousand times more concrete than their own. They may be able to push themselves to a third or fourth layer at best.

It was a hard thing to learn that the most elite in the world who had been praised and rewarded for their growth would soon be weak by comparison.