Chapter 333: Saved by the Orb (1/2)
Mike channeled mana to enhance his willpower and concentrated intensely to use every scrap of his mental processing in order to find a solution to his current dilemma.
[Let's see. To review, I am trapped inside a collapsing realm. I have no idea what will happen to me after the fact, but I suspect that standing inside a world that's on the verge of imploding can't be good for my health. I need to escape, but that presents its own problems.]
He scanned his surroundings again, hoping against hope to find something that he could use to get out of this situation. Unfortunately, nothing stood out to him. It was possible that some of the arcane runes carved into the floor of the realm could help, but he lacked the skill to make sense of them, and he certainly didn't have the time to research them.
As he watched, another ripple passed through the realm, stronger than any of the previous ones. In its wake, he saw glowing cracks taking shape in the very fabric of reality. Clearly, he didn't have long to get out.
[I'm no expert, but I think those are openings into interdimensional space. Based on what I've been told about it, I doubt I'd survive long, even if I didn't get mobbed by Invaders the second I entered it.]
Idly, he scooped up the broken orb, suspecting that if he managed to survive the next few minutes, it would prove valuable. On the off chance that it could assist him despite its damaged state, he used Appraise.
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Dungeon Core
Divine Item (Tier 5, Rank 1)
Created by [REDACTED] to be the foundation of an individual dungeon realm. When placed within a dungeon control pedestal, this crystal will manage and power all functions of a dungeon autonomously. This includes the creation of dungeon-specific monsters, treasure, and traps.
Note: This item is currently broken, rendering it non-functional and reducing it's rank from 5 to 1.
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Mike blinked. The results were about what he expected, but he was a little surprised to see how high rank the item was, even given it's broken condition. He could only imagine the amount of power still stored within. Not to mention its status as a 'Divine' item.
[No wonder Audra wanted to eat it. It doesn't really help me at this moment, though.] He thought before storing it.
Another ripple passed through the realm, causing the cracks to grow bigger. In one of the larger ones, he thought he saw something that looked like an eye pass by in a blur.
Feeling the time crunch, he considered trying to use Space Magic to propel him back in the direction of Ea. He'd yet to develop the ability to travel between realms, so it would be an act of desperation to even attempt it. More than likely, he would simply jump into interdimensional space under his own initiative.
”Crap…” He muttered while looking down at Audra. The little dragon was curled up within his pocket shivering with obvious fear. A large part of his hesitation was because of her. Between his resistances, regeneration, and inbuilt resilience he might be able to survive a brief stint in the space between dimensions, but he doubted that she could do the same.
”This is your fault, you know.” He grumbled bitterly, knowing that she wouldn't really understand him. ”If you hadn't tried to eat that orb it wouldn't have ended up cracked…” He sighed. ”Of course, knowing my luck, things would have still ended up this way.”
He glanced in the direction of the pedestal again as another ripple passed through the realm. The resulting distortion caused the stone-like structure to crack and disintegrate as if to accentuate the hopelessness of his situation.
”I wish that orb could do something for me, like create an interdimensional portal or teleport me. That should be…” He trailed off as a distant memory snagged at the edge of his consciousness.
For some reason, the idea of a cracked orb involved in dimensional travel was familiar. With a start, he recalled the item he'd confiscated from Wendel's airship.
Feeling a surge of hope, he quickly pulled out his extradimensional sack and began rummaging through its contents. With a victorious cry, his hand closed on his intended target. Withdrawing it, he quickly used Appraise to remind himself of its functions.
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Orb of Translocation (Cracked)
Magic Item (Tier 4, Rank 2)
One of the legendary orbs said to date back to the Second Age. Created by the High Elves through a method now lost, these orbs formed the keystones of their interdimensional portals. Although meant to be one small part of a larger device, they can be used individually to momentarily translocate two points in space. The effective range is determined by the amount of mana given to the orb as part of its activation. It is possible to travel to other realms with a sufficient amount of mana.
Note: This particular item is damaged, lowering its Rank from 5 to 2. Due to the damage, the destination cannot be set and will instead be randomized.
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”Aha! This is it! I feel like it's been years since I've even thought about this thing, but I'm glad I held onto it.”
His celebrations were interrupted by yet another reality quake, this time accompanied by a horrendous shrieking that seemed to emanate from everywhere at once. He was clearly out of time.
[Not sure where I'm going to end up, but it can't be worse than here.] He thought while pouring mana into the orb. It began to glow with a blue aura that quickly expanded to surround him, filling the air with a low pitched hum. The field rotated and spun faster and faster. which in turn caused the noise to increase in intensity.
For a brief moment, he was witness to the realm cracking open like an eggshell, and a wave of amorphous horrors with hungry maws pouring in, and then he was gone.
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Blinking, Mike looked around. He was standing in a long, empty corridor with vaulted ceilings that seemed to extend into infinity. The air was strangely heavy, and as he exhaled the breath he'd been holding, the sound echoed oddly.
While he was thankful that he'd managed to avoid becoming a snack for Invaders, it was clear that he hadn't made it back to Ea just yet.
He glanced down at the orb in his hand, wondering if he should try using it again, but hesitated when he noticed that the crack which marred its surface had grown larger. Apparently, using it in its damaged state had done some real harm to the item. If he was lucky, he might be able to get another use or two out of it before it broke completely.
Resignedly, he put it into his storage. Once he'd determined the nature of the realm he'd found himself in, he could reconsider trying to escape again.
He was just in the process of considering which direction to start walking in, when he heard footsteps approaching from a nearby passage. Based on the sound alone, he guessed that the other party was a humanoid of roughly average size moving with a steady, measured pace.