Desolate and Silent

Chapter 50 Desolate and Silent

"Guest Yaz, take good care of yourself while I'm gone."

"Gah!"

Besides the garden maze, Stella's Garden also has an artificial lake and lawns. There are geese and ducks in the lake. Rorschach tied a small section of silk scarf around Gast's neck so that it could make do with the other ducks in the lake.

Hopefully, ducks won't discriminate based on region like people do.

Rorschach was about to leave, so he tidied up his storage ring. Besides his usual coins and books, he also packed some vibrating quartz sand and sugar. Nowadays, white quartz sand is generally very expensive, and only the Alchemy Department uses it in small quantities when making potions. It's easier to buy blocks of brown sugar.

Rorschach and Cano arrived in the countryside by carriage. Huge tents had been erected on an open space beside the farmland, making it seem as if they had been requisitioned from a circus. Many carriages were parked around the tents, and workers were widening the roads. The air smelled of cow and horse manure.

"The area here is still a bit messy, let's hurry inside." The huge tent was much better; apart from the many supply packages piled up along the edges, the central platform occupied the largest area.

"How was it discovered?"

"This must be Master Rorschach, hello." A capable young man approached, dressed in hunting attire rather than loose robes. "I am François, a second-level mage. As the son of the discoverer, I am here to answer your question."

He led Rorschach and Cano to the high platform, where the engraved magic circle almost covered the entire surface, flowing with molten gold-like liquid metal. "Last winter, a farmer reported to the lord that his well had suddenly dried up. He said the well had been there since his grandfather's childhood and had never dried up before."

The lord introduced the farmer to the stonemasons' guild, a branch of the guild, hoping to dig a new well. My father, puzzled by the well's dryness, also went to investigate and found a magical loop at the bottom.

François pointed to the magic circle: "That's right, it's this magic circle. It absorbed groundwater and was somehow activated. After my father and the masters experimented, we built a larger magic circle in the same location and successfully traveled to the new plane."

"Your father, Archmage Granor, was also incredibly courageous," Kano continued, "Subplanes are often unsuitable for human habitation. Back then, your father left the location of this place and transmitted it there."

The young man in hunting attire smiled even more broadly: "Opportunities always favor those who possess both strength and courage. The other day, His Majesty the King received my father and me, praising and encouraging us to continue exploring the planes."

Luo Xia noticed that Cano's expression was somewhat unnatural while he was nodding. The three of them stood on the stage for a while before being called down.

"We also have a new lad here to replace Master Cano," said the leader, also dressed in hunting attire, a man with muscular build, broad shoulders, and thick limbs. This man, named Nemo, had sharp eyes, constantly observing and anticipating potential dangers.

He gathered all the apprentices and mages who were about to enter the sub-plane and gave them instructions on important points.

"Everyone, those without cards, come and take one! This is your life card! If you don't want to get lost and starve or die of thirst in the desert..."

Nemo, the team leader, personally strapped the wristband to Rorschach's left hand, the goat leather strap tightly constricting the wrist to secure the watch-like brass disc. Clearly, it was enchanted, capable of tracking the wearer's location.

"I'm gone."

Eight archmages, including Kano, positioned themselves around the magic circle, extending their right palms. Drums began to beat and horns sounded, signaling the eight mages to simultaneously channel magic into the circle.

The liquid metal within the magic circle began to boil, and Rorschach clearly felt all the ether around him being mobilized by the archmage, surging and rushing towards the magic circle.

The magical fluctuations from these archmages casting their spells simultaneously were even more intense than in the square of Antorella… Rorschach secretly compared them in his mind.

"Just step on it." The leader tightened the pack on his back and leaped into the formation. Luo Xia followed suit, as if stepping on something soft, his body lifted by concentrated magic, and a bright red light burst forth in his vision.

red.

After a while, the red area became distinct:

Above, the sky was constantly changing, with uneven pink hues surging disorderly. There were no celestial bodies, only a vast expanse of pale red atmosphere.

Below, the vast and boundless land stretches endlessly, the reddish-orange desert revealing ravines, devoid of any life.

Vast and desolate, if someone wanted to paint an image of this land, they would only need one color. It's not hard to imagine that if one were alone, they would be enveloped by this crimson sand and utter isolation.

Luo Xia and the rest of the advance team were standing on a high point in the wasteland, with a magic circle beneath their feet that was even larger than the one they had come by. It was simply inscribed on the red earth, without any flowing liquid metal.

The space was dry and pleasantly warm, but the monks present all felt a "scorching" heat. It wasn't the heat of the atmosphere, but the dense, restless ether.

"The ether here is so concentrated that the magic array can be activated without consuming any fluid."

In the main world, magic circles and scrolls need a medium that can carry ether to draw magical circuits, such as ink made of liquid metal or special minerals mixed with crystal powder.

But that's not necessary here. Rorschach tried using [Magic Drive] and could feel the thick, sticky ether being stirred.

"Let's leave the magic circle quickly; another batch of personnel and supplies will be teleported over."

The magic circle lit up again, and workers and supply packages were teleported over. Everyone was amazed by the teleportation experience, and some people's first thought was to check if they were missing any limbs.

"Alright! Everyone take attendance. Once everyone is accounted for, let's start setting up the camp!" Nemo, the team leader, began organizing everyone.

One team of workers dug pits in a lower area, while another team set up wool tents. Apprentices also helped set up the tents.

But the monks have other important tasks.

"Fellow monks, first we need to set up the clock tower. It will become a landmark of our residence and also tell us the time. This plane has no celestial bodies and no distinction between day and night, so we can only tell us the time by mechanical clocks."

Due to limited teleportation capabilities, large construction machinery, aside from supplies, cannot be brought in. This is where the power of magic comes in.

Rorschach used his powerful, almost superhuman "magic hand" to prop up the log and insert it into the pit, while François used a very interesting spell: "Animated Rope".

Under his control, the rope began to wobble and twist, binding itself to the central timber and the wooden pins inserted into the ground at the four corners, becoming the cables that secured the central pillar.

The workers couldn't help but watch the sorcerers perform their rituals, and when the mechanical clock was hung on the pillar, they couldn't help but cheer.

The other group of mages didn't fare so well. Their leader, Nemo, and the mid-level mage, Ina, were tasked with filling the reservoir using the [Water Creation] spell. Of course, they weren't the only ones; there were also apprentices who knew this spell. The supplies included some drinking water, but not enough for several dozen people.

"It's no use." Ina tried casting the spell again, but the subtle feeling of calling for azure that she used to experience was completely absent in this plane. There was only dry earth, as if it were rejecting the existence of life.

Should Nemo abort his return to the Prime Material Plane prematurely? Just as Nemo was weighing his plans, he heard the voice of the sorcerer Rorschach:

"Are you trying to create water? I'll give it a try."

(End of this chapter)