Return of the Fallen Volume 11 Chapter 27
“So what’s our next move?”
Marty pointed into the distance.
“If we keep heading in this direction, we should run into either Oasis Two or Four. Maybe one of them will accept us.”
“Are you sure you want me to tag along? After all, you’re an asset while I’m just a liability. If you keep bringing me around, I’ll just drag you down.”
“Stop spewing that nonsense. I already told ya I ain’t abandoning ya so shut it with that crap. People have been in this place for too long, they forget what really matters.”
“Isn’t surviving what’s most important?”
“Do ya want me to drop you off on the ground, or do ya wanna shut it and come with me?”
Kazuki became quiet.
“Now that’s better.”
Eventually, they came toward a tower, and with her mirror, she opened communication with the tower but only a few seconds after her expression changed.
“Damn those assholes. It seems Stez has already gotten the word out. No tower will go anywhere near us and from now on will actively avoid us.”
The reflective light faded out and the communication was cut. Marty stomped on her glider, causing it to tilt heavily to one side before rebalancing.
“Whoa, are you trying to kill us!?”
Marty grit her teeth before explaining.
“They won’t even communicate with us anymore and will simply ignore us from here on out. We’re already dead in their eyes.”
Kazuki expected this. If there really was something about him that caused the sandworms to follow, then he too would not allow that person near his people. He still couldn’t understand if there really was something that drew them to him or not.
“How come when we were attacked earlier, that worm didn’t go after me? I mean if those things are tracking me, shouldn’t it have gone straight for me?”
Marty paused the glider in mid-air, and they just hovered there as she gave him an odd look.
“Strange, so strange. Things were hectic last night and they seemed to be chasing in your direction, but then how does that explain the other oasis’s coming under attack? Could it be that they are looking for you but don’t know exactly what you look like? After all, they have no eyes. All they can go by is their senses. Maybe your soul gives off something similar to divine energy, and so they can’t necessarily distinguish your soul from ours.”
…
“So they all come out in force to try and find me. My soul isn’t anything special.”
Marty stared at Kazuki for a moment before asking.
“Do ya mind if I check your soul once more time?”
Kazuki became weary, but if he opposed, Marty may become suspicious, so he obliged.
“Only if you promise this will be the last time. I am not fond of people looking into my soul and peering into every memory without reserve.”
Marty held out a hand, and the two shook.
“I promise this will be the last time. Now relax.”
Kazuki felt Marty peering into his soul or rather the fabricated soul he created using his soul-reading ability. Marty witnessed Jetson’s first breath and his first time fishing. She saw his first fight along with his first love, and so on. She saw everything about Jentson, the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the end, Jentson’s life wasn’t too outstanding or thrilling. After a fraction of a second, she went from birth to the present time.
Shaking her head, she furrowed her brows.
“Hmm, old kid, your life’s been a bit of a bore. Rather peaceful near the end of it all. It looked like you were gonna live out a slow life in the countryside when ya wound up in a negative zone and then thrown out into this world. What rotten luck.”
Marty looked at Kazuki with pity, and Kazuki acted like he was offended.
“Sorry, my life wasn’t full of thrills and chills. I didn’t know you were in there to see that.”
“Ah, my bad. I didn’t mean your life was terrible or anything. I just thought you would be a little cooler. The way ya act in your memories, and now, it’s slightly off no?”
“Of course, it’s off. I’ve never been in such a strange situation in my entire life and I’m just trying to figure things out as I go. Sorry if I don’t fit some mold. So did you find what you were looking for or not?”
Marty felt bad.
“No. You appear to be ordinary through in through. Your soul isn’t anything different from the norm.”
The two then flew in awkward silence for a while.
It wasn’t long before they flew over miles of broken ruins.
“This place is?”
“I told ya I discovered some ancient ruins long ago and found my glider. I found it in a place similar to this.”
“There are more ruins than just this place?”
Marty pointed at a building that looked like a pyramid with its top cut off.
“I’ve come across three in total and each one has a main temple-like building similar to that spot down there. I have no doubt there are some more but I’ve yet to explore this entire world.”
The ruin looked like a collapsed city from ancient times. There seemed to be pathways leading to and fro like a road and there were broken walls. What surprised Kazuki was the material that was scattered all over. It looked kind of like the same material or something similar to the glider the two rode. It was also different from the material the tower was made of.
(For some reason I thought the glider was a part of the same tech that the tower was made of but it looks more in line with this place than the tower. Were there different technologies in this place or is it actually the same and I’m just not aware.)
“Marty the tech here.”
“You noticed it too. Is my glider made from that stuff down below or is it made from whatever the tower is? In truth, I can’t say for sure. From what I’ve learned, my theory is it’s a mix of both.”
“Both?”
Marty nodded.
“So are you saying that there was some ancient civilization that existed here after Resadez passed and then at some point, a new people came about, and what, adapted old tech with new tech?”
Marty nodded.
“That’s the working theory so far. After that, it gets even juicier. What happened to these people who seemed to be even more advanced than you or I?”
Marty shook her head.
“Questions lead to questions lead to questions. It gets a bit complicated and ya end up spiraling when ya can’t get your hands on any new information.”
Kazuki grew more and more curious about those that came before.
“How much have you explored this place?”
Marty began to pout.
“I never got deeper than the 9th layer because Stez was always far too concerned and called me back.”
“Anything down there?”
“Hmm, not sure. One of the reasons Stez was worried is because past the 9th layer is a bunch of unnatural caves that lead god knows where.”
“Caves.”
“Yes, beneath the ruins I’ve looked into, there are several layers or levels beneath the main temple. Each layer is like a new building in itself with its own rooms and halls and so on. Reaching the 9th layer, it suddenly becomes these weird caves that all seem to go in every direction. Stez said it wasn’t worth it to go any further, but I disagree. Who knows what could be down there. If you were an ancient civilization, would you leave all the good stuff on the surface or would ya keep it at your deepest levels? Take my glider, for example. I found it on the 8th layer. Imagine what else these ancient ones kept just lying around down there.”
Mart’s eyes lit up in delight as she spoke about exploring and finding old relics. Kazuki began to think about the ruins.
(Can’t go to any of the towers and nothing useful is on the surface. There may be more information down there, maybe a way to escape from this god-forsaken place. Down there may be the best option, hell it may be the only option at this point but below the surface is the world of the worms. Is there no way to avoid them?)
“Marty, land down there. I wish to test something.”
“Test…Test what?”
“A way to avoid the worms, or rather have them avoid us.”
Marty was intrigued by this and landed just outside of the ancient ruins. As soon as she did that, Kazuki stepped down from the glider and immediately slit his wrist with the nail from his thumb. Blood immediately began to gush out disgustingly and Marty stared in shock.
“What in the seven realms of hell are ya doing!?”
Kazuki began to wipe his body with his blood, soaking himself from head to toe.
“A sort of camouflage.”
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