The Empire, a formidable power with a lust for dominion, had hatched a diabolical plan to conquer the world. They had devised a sinister scheme, harnessing the life force of innocent humans to power an army of robotic soldiers. These soulless automatons, devoid of free will, served as the perfect instruments of the Kingdom's oppressive rule.
But destiny had other plans. As the Brawler arrived in this forsaken land, the echoes of despair and suffering reached their ears. With fists clenched and resolve burning bright, the hero took it upon themselves to confront the Kingdom and put an end to their tyrannical reign.
"I guess it would be fun to defeat that kind of enemy; it is a pity that we didn't arrive in time for such a party," Ethan said.
"Anyway, I will be sending you guys now," Hannah said. "Remember, Dante is the leader here. The leader here is Dante. Dante is here, the leader."
"Okay, Master Yoda," Ethan said. "You can stop now, you couldn't sound dumber even if you tried."
"I will bring you back here once every day at the same time; Dante's watch is emitting a powerful magic pulse so that we can track him, after all," Hannah said.
Hannah, Ethan's sister, didn't trust him to take charge due to his tendency to do foolish things. She believed that Ethan's impulsive nature and lack of sound judgment could lead to disastrous outcomes. Therefore, she felt the need to assert her authority and make it clear that Ethan would not be leading the group.
In a serious and measured tone, Hannah addressed the others, emphasizing the importance of caution, strategic thinking, and working together. She highlighted the unique strengths of each member and assigned roles accordingly. Hannah's intention was not to belittle Ethan but to ensure the group's safety and success by avoiding impulsive actions.
As the rest of the group listened to Hannah, they recognized her wisdom and understood her concerns. They appreciated her commitment to their well-being and trusted her judgment. They realized that her decisions were based on practicality and a desire to protect them from unnecessary harm.
The group was teleported away, and then they crossed those weird tunnels that they always see when they travel toward distant words. Ethan wondered why the tunnels sometimes would curve in other directions; it wasn't like they were avoiding some obstacles.
Regardless, it didn't take long for the group to land in the next world. They appeared in the sky, five hundred meters above the ground. Dante and Ethan didn't have a hard time landing on their feet, but Aline and Emily used wind magic to lower their falling speed.
The group materialized in the heart of an ancient, desolate city, surrounded by a haunting silence. The once bustling streets now lay empty and abandoned, their cobblestones worn and cracked under the weight of time. As far as the eye could see, dilapidated buildings loomed, their crumbling facades a testament to a forgotten era.
Above them, a leaden sky stretched out endlessly, devoid of color or signs of life. The absence of sunlight cast a perpetual gloom over the city as if a shroud of melancholy had settled upon its desolate streets. Not even a single bird could be heard or seen as if nature itself had forsaken this forsaken place.
The group cautiously ventured forward, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets, each step a stark reminder of the city's forsaken past. Broken windows gaped like hollow eyes from the decaying structures, and overgrown vines snaked their way through the cracks in the walls, reclaiming what was once human-made.
"I guess my sister would make a poor tourist guide," Ethan said.
"This might be one of the cities under the control of the empire that tried to take over the world," Dante said while looking around. "They used their own people as batteries for their mechanical soldiers…"
"Isn't this the perfect place for someone to do their shady business?" Aline asked. "They must be in this part of the world since the inhabitants wouldn't bother them."
"Let's split up and investigate the area for signs that someone has been here in the last ten days," Dante declared. "The mana levels here are inexistent, so we should be able to easily find traces of Teleportation spells."
Everyone nodded, and the group split up. As Ethan walked through the city's desolate streets, his eyes scanned the surroundings, and a somber realization settled within him. The absence of vibrant greenery caught his attention, a stark contrast to what he was accustomed to in the world he knew.
He noticed the barrenness of the landscape, devoid of any signs of vegetation. The once flourishing gardens and parks had withered away, leaving behind only dried remnants of what once thrived. The soil beneath his feet felt lifeless and devoid of the nourishment needed for plants to grow.
It became evident to Ethan that in this forsaken place, the absence of mana had taken its toll on the natural world. Without the vital energy that sustained and nurtured life, the flora that once adorned the city had wilted away, unable to survive in this inhospitable environment.
Although Ethan's magic skills improved in the last few weeks, he didn't notice any mana in the area. Still, after not so long, he saw a Fireball being fired into the sky and then exploding. Someone used that as a sign to call the others.
Ethan dashed toward the location, and then he saw the others already there. It seemed that Aline had felt something.
"I didn't find traces of Teleportation, but I found the traces of a magic engine of some sort that emitted a constant flow of mana; it is heading East of here," Aline explained.
"East… in that direction, it is the side that the empire marched when they started their conquest," Dante said after he crossed his arms. "It feels weird that they would move in that direction when they don't want to be disturbed."
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