VERSATILE: ALTERNATE WORLD

After the rescue operation, we got a few survivors that we managed to rescue from the roads and healed their wounds. Although we rescued a few people, the amount of people who died is much higher than the amount we rescued and we can't help but be sad about their ends. If perhaps we arrived much sooner, perhaps fewer people might have died as a result. But we cannot change what happened anymore. It's not like I can just go save and reload all of a sudden.

We left after healing all of the people who are wounded. We also left them an ample amount of potions and healing supplies for people who still have wounds.

Getting out of the city, I called out Leona and we fly in the direction where the Key to the Wind Sanctum is pointing.

"Is it accurate to follow this light? Although it's legitimate, I am not sure if it really was pointing to the sanctum just like that. Shouldn't they have some countermeasure on this in case someone else received the key who is not authorized?" Queen Tori pondered.

"You have a point, Sis. If someone else gets the key, and if the sanctum was something considered a secret, that only means the key is giving out the direction of the sanctum. Isn't that bad?" Queen Tanya agreed with Queen Tori's sentiment.

"I don't think so. Based on how we received this, there is no way anyone would just receive this key without strong abilities. The holder of this key seems to be the Wind Guardian which is why when we have slain the dragon, I picked up the key and we obtained it. They would have needed to kill the Wind Guardian to get this in the first place and since this is now in our hands, that only means no one has ever taken this key out of that place until now."

The two didn't say anything and I think they are now convinced though, of course, I am not too sure whether they silently agreed or silently disagreed. What's important is what is up ahead.

We are halfway through when we suddenly smell the odor of heavy smoke and some gunpowder drifting into the wind. It's pretty much a heavy smell if it was just coming from a house or somewhere but there is that heavy smell indeed.

A few more distance, we saw a lot of black smoke rising in the sky. Not only that but there are also the sounds of explosions and screams of humans as well.

"You hearing what I am currently hearing?" I looked at the two queens behind me who were also listening.

"Yes. It seems like someone or something is fighting?" Queen Tori frowned as she tried to peek below but has a hard time doing so. _{Google search 𝗳𝔯e𝒆𝙬𝘦𝙗𝓷o𝘷el. c૦𝑚}

"Should we go and investigate?" Queen Tanya suggested.

"I think it's best if we should not do so. We will judge later once we saw what is happening, but before that, we should enter Stealth Mode and pass by just in case."

I pulled out a scroll and tear it apart, covering us in a transparent veil though Leona can still see and fly just fine. It's a spell named [Camouflage Veil]. It's not that great compared to a regular Stealth but the best thing about it is that it can be used for multiple entities and cover them into a stealthy veil that allows anyone to enter a state of stealth. The only reason it's bad is that if someone or something noticed the veil so fast, then the veil will immediately disappear.

The only reason I used this is that the other stealth abilities can include multiple people and entities to the stealth effect because this is the only skill that allows movement while under stealth. Most if not all of the other stealth skills aside from the original stealth skill are only usable if you are stationary.

Now that the spell is active, I let Leona hover not too far in the area. The smell of the smoke is getting stronger and stronger. As we continue to move, the light on the key is getting stronger as well and it is now pointing North-West from where we are facing.

"Looks like we are now getting near the location of the sanctum based on the key's light."

"Wait, if we are almost near the sanctum and this smoke is coming from where we are going... does that mean..." Queen Tori frowned.

"Let's find out, shall we?" I pat Leona and we followed the direction of the key more precisely this time around.

As we are getting there, we soon found the main reason for the smoke and screams of people.

The sanctum was actually located near the town and from the looks of it, a few soldiers are currently at war against the little town and the town is currently fighting against the soldiers of the shogun. From the looks of it, it seems they are the current militia of the place and based on what I know in the past timeline, the militia will soon converge and recruit all people who were suffering and persecuted by the soldiers to rise up and fight back against the shogun.

It's nice and all but the problem is that they are not just going to survive the battle against the shogun. Once the soldiers will become unstoppable, they will end up losing and the massacre will also begin as well if not for the players stopping the shogun and the soldiers, most of the people in the Kamikaze would have been killed as a result.

"Looks like some rebellion. And they are fighting against the soldiers. Should we go and help them?" Queen Tanya asked though it is clear she is not there to help but to fight against the soldiers instead.

"No. This time we don't need to involve ourselves in this battle for them. We should head to the sanctum first and determine the problem. If we keep on going and helping people as a side quest thing, we will just be wasting our precious time. We should rather use the time to solve the root cause, as that will also remove the current problems these people are facing."

"I agree with Bladeheart on this one, Sis. We might be able to keep on helping them but that doesn't solve the problem at all. The faster we are done with the job, the lesser times we will also do a rescue mission as well.

Queen Tanya wanted to protest but soon gave up as we decided to pass by on the current war. Besides, even if we join, do we even solve anything by helping them? Not at all and that is the thing. Therefore, we continue on our way to the main sanctum to immediately determine if the sanctum's missing relic is the main cause of all of this or if there is a much deeper cause.

Not too far from the town under war with the soldiers and the militia, the big sanctum appeared in front of us. Compared to what we expected, instead of a place that seemed to house an important artifact and mechanism, what we see is the remains of the sanctum as the place has been wrecked and turned into some kind of ruins.

"Oh no... looks like what we assumed was indeed the real deal. The sanctum is gone..." Queen Tori is saddened at the sight.

"Not entirely. Look, the key is still responding to this place. That only means there is still something in here that hasn't been destroyed and is part of the sanctum. There must be some items or devices here that might help us in our task at hand. Let's land and seek it out."

We started to explore the sanctum. Despite being reduced to rubble, we can still feel the aura of the wind. A strong yet, gentle breeze keeps on blowing over my body. It's a calming wind and I like it. But I guess this is just the partial effect of how it was before.

Entering the premises, the log is updated.

-You have discovered the Demolished Wind Sanctum.

It was no longer saying the Wind Sanctum but demolished Wind Sanctum. It's kinda bad that a place so important to the whole continent would just be destroyed and end up not even giving any remaining people to interact. Even the workers here are nowhere to be found. Who would have thought it would be this bad?

Exploring the rubbles is hard. Aside from the normal debris that is scattered around, it's hard to know whether there must be something underneath or not in it. I was looking around when I realized the key is still responding even though we have entered the sanctum and the light it was released is still pointing to something.

Investigating the place soon made me discover the source of why the key continues to pinpoint the sanctum.