Chapter 37: The Crystal Mines V

"Not my world? What do you—"

"Gghhk—!"

Pain exploded through his chest, causing Rian to double over with his hands clenched together. The effects of his recklessness had now caught up.

Casting two intermediate spells back-to-back had caused his mana circulation to fray at the edges from overload.

The spirit hurried toward him, hovering just in front of his face. "Hey! Are you okay? What’s going on?!"

Rian wasn’t sure himself, but he knew that something was wrong. Instead of feeling harsh pain, it was more like pain someone had from overworking their muscles at the gym.

But using the same analogy, that meant...

’My Magic Circle...using intermediate spells had caused my body to subconsciously develop a need for a second Circle, therefore already building a foundation for it—!’

The more Rian thought about it, the more the analogy made sense. Having a mana-stabilizer was similar to having a ’spotter’ at the gym, just in case something went wrong.

But Rian had subconsciously created the foundation for a new ring by himself. In terms of the same analogy, it was like he had broken a personal record without the help of a spotter.

Now all he had to do was find the materials to actually complete it—a mana crystal that was around a meter in diameter should suffice. And considering the location he was in...

That probably wouldn’t be too difficult.

"Sorry," he raised a hand up to the spirit, allowing her to perch on top. "Could you please explain where we are?"

The spirit frowned at the way Rian had dodged her question before, but proceeded regardless. "We’re inside what you humans call a Ley Line."

"Inside one?" Rian repeated.

"Yes," the spirit continued. "Ley Lines are natural currents connecting the Spiritual and Mortal Worlds. In places where enough mana gathers, the boundary between them becomes thin enough for us to cross."

"Wait...isn’t that kind of bad?"

She shook her head at the answer, while also looking mildly offended. "Not really, this Ley Line is relatively weak. The gateway only allows for small spirits to come through."

"Is that how you came through as well?"

"I’m not a small spirit! I’m a Lord one, okay?!" she yelled. "And no! I did not come from that specific gateway!"

What she said was quite unconvincing, seeing that the spirit was just around half of Rian’s pinkie. "Alright, I believe you."

"I really am a Lord Spirit!" the spirit exclaimed, catching onto his sarcasm. "I can only manifest this much because I have no contractee yet!"

’Contractee...’

At the mention of the word, Rian’s memory suddenly flashed back to a few minutes prior. Felix, who was supposed to be compatible with Earth Magic only, somehow began to use water magic at such a degree...

"Hey, spirit—"

"Call me Sylph!"

"Right...Sylph," he paused, clearing his throat and trying again. "Is it possible for a human to contract a spirit that they’re not compatible with?"

"Yes it’s possible...but no spirit with any amount of common sense would willingly agree to such a contract."

"Why?"

"Because it endangers both the spirit and the human..."

Rian stared at Sylph curiously, convincing her to continue. "When the elements are compatible, human and spirit share their mana naturally. But when they aren’t, the spirit has to force its element into the human."

Her expression suddenly became serious. "This process could rebound and destroy the spirit...But some powerful ones are able to prevent it, but doing so causes them to overwrite their contractee’s affinity and—"

"Let me guess," Rian interrupted her. "It doesn’t stop with their affinity. Eventually, it begins overwriting the person as well."

"...Yes."

"Well, that explains it," Rian muttered.

But upon understanding the implication. He quickly snapped his head toward Sylph.

"You’ve been around me for a while now," he looked toward the only passage a bit farther away. "All that talk about Undyne being in Eisenbran...Is it really true? Did Felix really make a contract with—"

"That’s...what I’m here to find out as well..." she frowned deeply. "Undyne had volunteered to be the guardian for this Ley Line a few human years ago, but we suddenly lost all contact with her..."

’Was she referring to five years ago? That’s when Nadine moved to Eisenbran and found those crystals in the riverbed!’

"Wait...Guardian?" Rian repeated. "What exactly was she guarding it from?"

"Anything trying to force its way through," she answered. "Undyne kept the gateway narrow and stabilized the mana flowing between our worlds."

Rian nodded. "And now she’s gone."

"...Yes."

Sylph looked toward the same passage. "That tunnel is where I feel her mana most strongly..."

Rian spotted his soaked spellbook nearby and tucked it back into his sling bag. Then, clutching his injured hand, he forced himself upright.

"Then let’s not waste any time."

The passage descended roughly, forcing Rian to brace himself against the wall whenever his injured leg threatened to give out.

Sylph remained perched upon his shoulder, occasionally directing him whenever the tunnel divided. The farther they traveled, the colder the air became.

Eventually, he heard the sound of waves.

"We’re beneath a mountain," he whispered. "Why can I hear the ocean?"

Sylph didn’t answer. Rian caught on to her reason why, extinguishing his own light and focusing on the dim blue radiance ahead.

The tunnel opened onto a ledge overlooking an enormous sea cave. Water occupied most of the chamber, until it all flowed back into the ocean just outside the cave’s mouth.

’Is this...underneath Eisenbran?’

Rian couldn’t even fully answer his question, as what caught his eye next, was a gigantic mana crystal the size of at least a three-story building.

And suspended inside said crystal, was the figure of a woman. Her eyes were closed and her long blue hair floated upwards as if she were sleeping underwater. A textbook definition of a mermaid, with a huge tail covered in glittering scales.

Yet the machinery surrounding her told a different story. Various pumps and braces had been bolted around the crystal, siphoning blue mana straight out and causing the woman to shift uncomfortably.

"Undyne..."

Rian caught her between both palms before she could rush into the open. "Wait...something’s wrong."

On the opposite side of the chamber was a rift, like someone had grabbed a knife and jammed it straight into reality. And from the faint glimpses Rian could see of the other side, all he saw was a vast ocean filled with dark waters and violent storms.

A voice suddenly rang out from below, panicked and scared. It was Otto’s.

"Please! I don’t know anything! Please spare me!"

Felix stepped closer to the rift, one hand holding onto the man’s collar, casually dragging him across the floor.

But what Rian thought was inhumane enough, was not for Felix. Several prisoners were chained behind Otto, women, kids, anyone he could think of.

"I have a family!" the prisoner pleaded. "Please, Lord Felix!"

"So did everyone else." Felix regarded him without the slightest trace of sympathy. "If anything, you should be grateful that I’ve treated everyone equally."

And, like a response to the man’s pleading, Felix unlatched him. The man tried running immediately, but dark water suddenly wrapped around him.

With a casual movement of Felix’s hand, he threw the man into the rift.

For a second, it looked like the prisoner wasn’t going to fit. Yet in the very next second, dark water wrapped around him and pulled him through, cutting off his scream.

"So, who wants to be next?"

"It’s...horrible...!" Sylph covered her mouth next to Rian. "Human lives...He’s using them as offerings...!"

Rian looked toward the rift once more. Only then did he manage to see the change. Slightly, perhaps only the width of a finger, the rift became wider before being reinforced by Undyne’s mana.

’He’s using the guardian’s purpose against her...I need to find some way to stop him before it’s too late!’

"Sylph, when I distract him—"

But before he could even announce his first step, a voice called out.

"I know you’re there, Rian."

Below them, Felix hadn’t even turned around. "I must admit, I’m surprised you survived."

"Then again," his corrupted eye shifted toward the ledge they were hiding against. "I suppose you’ve always been something of a cockroach. Refusing to die when you’re supposed to."

Realizing that hiding was pointless, he stepped out into the open. "Is this really the power you want? Enough to butcher innocent people and destroy the city you spent countless years controlling—?!"

"TO HELL WITH THE CITY!"

Felix suddenly shouted, making his way toward the remaining prisoners.

Rian threw himself from the ledge. Pain shot through his injured leg when he landed, but he forced himself between Felix and the captives.

"Don’t..."

But with a wave of Felix’s hand, a mass of water struck Rian straight on when he attempted to reach for his spellbook.

CRASH—!

He was hurled straight into the cavern wall, his body dropping to the ground, bloodied and motionless.

His vision blurred, but through it, he saw the prisoners rise into the air before being fed to the rift one by one. Some screamed while others begged for mercy, but they were sacrificed all the same.

"FIVE YEARS!" Felix suddenly yelled in outrage. "FIVE YEARS OF PLAYING PRETEND MAYOR—!"

A sudden tranquility spread across his face.

"All for this moment."

It was calm before the storm. Every wave had suddenly stopped moving, becoming aware that something far greater was about to arrive.

A pale shape emerged from the darkness. At first, Rian mistook it for another fragment of crystal. Then it hooked itself around the edge of the widened rift—

A tooth.

One longer than his entire body. Before another appeared. And then another...

Rows of fangs pushed through the other side, forcing the rift apart like fingers tearing open an old wound. The surrounding space cracked beneath the pressure.

"I SUMMON THEE! DISASTER SPIRIT AND LORD OF CHAOTIC WATER—!"

"LEVIATHAN!"

Sylph was shouting something, but her voice had become distant. Rian’s hearing faded under the pounding of his own heartbeat. His eyes began to fall shut. Though just before they did, Rian caught a glimpse of Felix approaching him.

Why?

The ritual had worked. Whatever Felix spent five years preparing for was already forcing its way into their world...

So why was he coming closer?

Felix stopped before him, his feverish smile returning as he reached down and curled his fingers into his collar.

Rian’s eyes felt even heavier. Yet just before darkness swallowed him, Felix leaned in and whispered one final sentence.

"You had always been the second option, Brother."

RUMBLE—!