Chapter 20
Rita was still pouting.
Aurora was amused to see the other fuming over what had happened with Freha but it was getting old as well.
“Stop getting irritated. If you’re going to be like this, then you should go back home” Aurora teased as she tried to get her magic to work in a way she intended to. So far, she had managed to make a basic communication manual and a binding connection.
“No, I’ll behave. But I’m bored. What are you doing?” Rita asked, finally giving up on holding a grudge. Freha was likely going to be a sore subject for her but it seemed as if she was finally over it.
Aurora’s magic moved to connect the final piece in her interface and it finally managed to make a basic frame. It was workable and Aurora would be able to improve on it later.
“This is a system that would help our allies develop their magic. This is still in the testing stages but I hope to have it fully developed by the time we set up the academy. Want to try it out?” Aurora informed.
She passed the small light bubble toward Rita to take. This was relatively harmless for the most part. And even if something happened, Aurora had made sure that the magic would not be affected.
“It’s safe?” Rita asked even as she took the small sphere. Aurora nodded in assurance and Rita finally clasped her hand around the small bubble.
Aurora watched in glee as a small screen appeared in front of the female and showed her level and other things. Aurora could feel the magic binding with the younger and scanning her.
“How does it feel? Try using it” Aurora encouraged. She had made the system an independent entity, not unlike a child. It would learn over time and improve itself but it was still quite new right now.
She had based it on a gaming screen she had the pleasure of witnessing on T.V. and she felt conflicted about its design and limitations. It was made to expand over time and would only be capable of basic functions right now.
Still, Aurora felt a thrill go through her as she watched Rita open the inventory and experiment with it.
The experimentation took a whole afternoon where they tried out different functions of the system. Rita had also gotten a few upgrades on her summoning magic as the system had successfully uncovered her flaws.
It seemed to be working as intended and Aurora handed another copy of it to Freha before the pair left the place.
“Remember, Rocx valley is not a gentle place and we are not trying to subdue it right now. We are just going there to check some things before we come back. Hopefully, Rex would have managed to get the necessary permissions by then” Aurora hoped her brother had.
Because they were already running short on time. Every second they spent here, the abyss was getting a new and powerful recruit that would give them an advantage. The abyss was expanding every second as well.
“So, I know that we are going there to scout the place out, but what does that even mean? Are we going to scout that place out?” Rita asked, sounding confused.
Aurora had expected that question so she did not mind answering it for the other. It was also a good time for her to see what her system could do in non-magic-related situations.
She opened her panel and scanned the area to get a map-like image. Rocx valley was the perfect place to experiment as well since it had the closest energy to the abyss on the surface.
The map she got back was far from perfect but it was a start. It had the basic topography as well as the landmarks. The only drawback was that it only covered a small portion of the valley.
“Before we enter the Rocx valley, you should be aware of a few things. The main valley is the place where the academy will be built (Aurora pointed toward the center of the map) but it is not the main place we will be targeting. Our real objective this time is to reach the Starlite cave”
The place Aurora pointed toward was just a little out of the map’s area but Aurora knew the placement of the cave. It had been an important resource in her time and she did not doubt that it would become an important asset this time as well.
“Oh. Isn’t it in the deeper areas? Should we not wait to tackle those parts after we have the academy and a little more force?” Rita asked. To Aurora, she sounded nervous and tried to hide it.
And Aurora understood why Aurora was feeling like that. They were already at the cups of the Rocx valley and the feeling of oppression coming out of the place was something else.
For those who had never faced the abyssal energy, this place was unnerving. But to Aurora, it almost felt like home. The magic she had acquired after becoming a goddess rejoiced at the familiar feeling.
“To be honest, I did not want to bring you here at this time but I don’t have any other choice. There are things I need to do and people I need to meet before it becomes too late” since she knew of the future events, Aurora knew the importance of this place.
Contrary to popular beliefs, Rocx valley was not uninhabited. It had a lot of strong non-human races that were being sought by the abyss tower as slaves. It was only because of the aura and the guardians that this place had survived.
And since it had such strong protection. Aurora felt it was only right to seek permission to build an academy here. She did not want to alarm the guardians or the people living here.
And maybe, just maybe she would also be able to atone for the sins of her past. She had been one of the participants of the great purge by the abyssal tower as well and she had contributed to a lot of unnecessary bloodsheds.
She knew she had to at least try and make sure these people were safe this time.
“There are people down there? I won’t believe it till I see it for myself” Rita sounded spectacle at her words and Aurora just shook her head at that.
“Well, then brace yourself for combat if you want to meet them. Not every creature down there is friendly” Aurora warned as she took a spear out of her inventory. She was going to make sure of the system as well.
Rita followed suit, not fully convinced but determined to follow after Aurora none-the-less.