Return of the Fallen Volume 11 Chapter 14
The glider currently flew at a speed of a few hundred miles per hour. After several hours, Marty and Kazuki finally arrived. The tower was not simply a floating tower but instead was an entire floating island.
“This place, there’s no green in sight.”
Marty sighed before pointing at the bland brown island.
“I’ve been here for a few hundred years and I’ve scouted nearly the entire surface of this world, there is no green, no plant no flowers of any kind. This is a wasteland through in through.”
“But you said this floating place is called Oasis Seven. How can it be called an oasis with no water and no plants of any kind?”
“I didn’t say the name made sense. Come, have a look.”
Marty guided the glider and landed softly near the tower.
“Take a look here.”
Pointing at the entrance of the tower, a carving was etched above the open path which read [Oasis Seven.]
“This carving was here long before anyone else. In this world, a few other floating islands have been discovered, all of them have one of these towers. Each of them is named Oasis followed by a number. This one is seven. In total, 9 have been found and some have settled on each one.”
Marty grabbed Kazuki by the arm as if he were a lost child and she dragged him inside. Kazuki didn’t resist as he was still trying to gain information about his situation and he felt no evil intent from Marty.
As soon as they walked in the scenery completely changed. Outside there were only a few dreary and shabby-looking dome-shaped buildings. All of them were small and looked as if they could house only 3 or 4 people in total. Walking inside the tower, the interior was covered in bright white material. At a glance, Kazuki couldn’t tell if it was marble or maybe even plastic. The building was lit up with lights that looked like they were fluorescent instead of magic.
This was completely unexpected.
Not only the walls and lights but even the inside was spacious. From the outside, the building only seemed to go up a few hundred feet but inside the building was several thousand feet tall.
“Spatial manipulation without space magic. This is possible?”
Marty nodded.
“Strange is it not. Magical storage tools like storage rings manipulate space in a similar fashion but this building I’m sure you’ve already felt has no magical energy within.”
Kazuki had to stop for a moment to take that in.
(There really is no magical energy inside of here. Then this spatial manipulation…is it science-based instead?)
“Pretty strange right? This whole world is a mystery and one day I’ll figure it all out.”
Marty’s eyes shined while she said this but the very next moment a loud shout rang out.
“A mystery!? Marty, can you please shut up with all that shit. After all this time you should know better than anyone else this place is a prison, not some grand mystery one needs to solve. Kid, don’t listen to her spout nonsense, Marty here is a dreamer through and through. Don’t fall into her false sense of hope. Give up now and accept reality, this place is an inescapable pit and you, unfortunately, fell in.”
A short young mana foot and a half shorter than Kazuki stood on the ledge of a platform a dozen or so feet up. He had blonde hair and a stubby nose. He looked like a middle schooler but Kazuki could feel a small amount of his power, this was no child.
(Demigod!)
After this man said this, he hopped down and walked over with his hands behind his back. He stopped right before Kazuki. His height did not match his demeanor Kazuki thought but he didn’t say this out loud. Without hesitation, Kazuki felt a foreign aura enter his soul world and glance at his soul tree. Kazuki was about to resist but before he did Marty’s aura severed the short man’s and she stepped in between the two and shouted.
“MACK YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT IN THE 7 REALMS OF HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!?”
Causing a commotion as she said this, several more people began to come out from many rooms and higher floors.
The short man called Mack shrugged.
“I am simply looking into this stranger’s identity. Stez said you found someone and I was curious. To think you found a pebble though. Barely at the 5th stage. I didn’t get a good enough look since you cut me off, how did this…little boy survive in the desert? Did you use more power to save him? The others won’t be happy?”
Marty now looked even more pissed. A drastic change from her nonchalant attitude from earlier.
“Mack you really have no idea what you’re talking about. While others are actually using their power sparingly, you’re wasting it on a youthful appearance and you want to scold me on power usage. Not only that insulting someone you don’t know and even going so far as to say I should have left him. You never cease to amaze me with how cold you are.”
Mack looked completely unbothered by Marty shouting at him and he even looked past her and stared at Kazuki.
“This place isn’t for you. We have to keep this island floating and any increase in weight without some type of return is asking all of us to sacrifice more. So my so-called coldness is merely stating the truth. I thought Marty might have picked up an asset but with your power, you are only a liability. LEAVE!”
As Marty argued with Mack, dozens of people began coming down to see what all of the fuss was about. In an instant, Kazuki felt curious gazes scan him. Half a second later many auras tried to enter his soul world and Marty promptly stopped them all. Most did not care about who Kazuki was and instead focused on his power. Even if Marty tried to stop them, she couldn’t prevent them all. After barely a second it was already known that Kazuki was only at the 5th stage. Some found this funny while others looked on at him with pure disdain.
Kazuki still didn’t understand why they acted like this but he was starting to put two and two together.
(The short one called Mack and Marty mentioned keeping this place afloat and wasting power. This place looks more in line with technology but the way they are talking it seems more likely to use Divine energy similar to Marty’s glider. With the scarce divine energy it’s no wonder this man wishes to boot me from here.)
Kazuki began to think about his options. If he really was kicked from her he would be returned to the surface with the sandworms. That could be disastrous.
*BANG*
As people laughed and Marty and Mack’s argument grew louder and louder, a large bang echoed out through the tower.
At the top of the tower, an old man/creature jumped down and landed with a heavy thud. Standing up he was tall and thin, but this was not the most distinct feature. The man had green skin with specks of blue here and there spread around his face like freckles. His eyes were dark green, darker than his skin and he had two curved horns atop his forehead. A short grey beard and short grey and black hair on his head.
Kazuki had never seen a being like him before, and he wondered if he was an ancient beast, though he wouldn’t say that out loud.
The moment he landed, everyone became quiet.
“So this is the person you picked up, Marticia?”
Marty nodded.
Stez stood in front of Kazuki and cupped his fist and gave a slight nod.
“Young man, I am called Stez. Although we are all equal in this place, I would technically be called the leader here. You are?”
Kazuki cupped his fist and bowed slightly to return the respect shown. Stez, unlike Mack, introduced himself and also did not attempt to look into his soul. Kazuki would always return respect when it was given.
“I am called Jentson. I come from a Lower Realm you’ve probably never heard of and I am very confused about what is going on. I don’t know where this place is or why I ended up here. ”
Stez nodded.
“That is understandable. Most of us were like you when we first arrived in this place. I will be upfront. This place is called the Resadez. It is a world and yet not a world. It has later become a place no one can return from. A prison of sand and the soul eaters down below. That is what I will tell you for now.”
Kazuki nodded.
“Thank you.”
(That’s it? That’s all you’ll tell me?)
“Since I am the leader of this place, I have a responsibility to my people and their safety. I will tell you right now, Oasis Seven is not a place for those who can not contribute. You have no Divine power and therefore can be of no help. This may be cold but Mack is correct, this is not a place for you. Please leave.”
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