Tale of Discovery

Chapter 214: Time-Key ; Passage

A/N:- A picture of Eri has been added to the previous chapter in the paragraph comments.

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Taking a deep breath, I slowly float into the sky while telekinetically pulling those who can't fly along with me.

The rest follow along as I make my way to the gateway that has opened.

As soon as I'm right in front of it, I sense something settling on top of my head.

"Good work, Eri," I praise the fairy before focusing on the gateway in front of me.

Nothing. I can sense nothing from it. It's as if what I'm seeing isn't a part of reality.

Whatever. I should've expected something like this from a gateway that connects a Platform to the Rift.

"Victor?" Yuno questions.

"Never mind," I say while shaking my head before floating through the gateway while pulling the other girls along.

{Data received. Assessing.}

Huh? Before I can inquire about this, strange energy encompasses my feet and waist.

Then, I feel my body being pulled forward as my surrounding changes to a black void.

Taking this moment to check on the other girls, I notice that they're all most likely experiencing the same thing I am.

Soon, the surrounding void seems to crack, as white light seems to shine through.

After a few seconds, the void 'shatters' as we find ourselves in a familiar place.

"The Mete?" I subconsciously mutter as I look around the vast empty white space.

All of a sudden, a green spark appears in the distance for a split-second.

The spark catches the attention of every single one of us as we all focus on the location where it appeared.

The next moment, several more sparks appear before a green flame combusts out of nowhere.

Sensing no danger, I continue to watch with intrigue as the flame swirls around at an incredulous rate.

Moments pass by with the flame still swirling, but nothing else happens.

"Is that it?" Krul dubiously questions what's on my mind.

As if responding to her words, the flame bursts outward as a giant structure begins to emerge from its center.

Shortly I figure out that the structure is a gateway; A solid one, at that.

The gateway extends about 6 meters upwards and is arched. It's made of stone and has numerous hieroglyphic-like writing engraved on it.

Upon closer inspection, I make out several things, some of which I recognize from the Sorcerers' Lair:

A tree, a man with a cane, a tornado, a dragon, and a castle.

There is much more, but these are the ones that caught my attention the most.

I take a moment to deliberate on this matter before an awful notion appears in my head: What if a Code or Unknown reached the Mete through this gateway?

Is that even possible?

{Affirmative. All entities can pass through the Core Gates.}

Great. I have to make sure that everything that poses a threat is eliminated before I access a Core in future Platforms.

Anyway, Core Gates? Is that what we're going to be calling them now?

{Due to a lack in terms needed to specify it, one was established.}

Well, thanks. That saves me the trouble of naming it.

{It's my duty to serve Father.}

"Hey, Victor, don't you find those drawings suspicious?" Krul says while pointing at the gateway.

"Ah, yes. They resemble what we saw in the Platform," I respond.

"That's not what I meant," she says while squinting her eyes.

Hm? Did she figure something out? It sure does seem like it, but what could she have noticed?

"How old do you think is this thing?" she asks.

"How old?" I say with my brows furrowed before a realization hits me. How old is the Mete, Platform, and the Rift?

Since when did this gateway exist? How does it have things that I recognized at the present engraved on it?

Irene, do you have any information regarding this?

{Negative.}

How troublesome. I will have to look into this matter in the future.

"Thanks for pointing this out, Krul," I say in a serene tone.

"Don't mention it," she responds with a smile, displaying her white fangs.

"Oh, right," I say as I turn to face Yuno, "do you know how old is the Playground?"

As a response to my inquiry, Yuno slowly shakes her head with closed eyes before responding, "Unfortunately, due to my disposition, it took me some time to arrive in the Playground. So, I don't much about it other than the basics."

"But, if you want to," she continues as a disturbing smile forms on her lips, "I can investigate it for you."

I take a solid five seconds to consider how it would turn out if I let Yuno loose before straightening my posture and saying as firmly as possible, "As much as I would appreciate it, but I would rather you stay by my side."

A red hue covers Yuno's cheek as she smiles and places her palm against her chest.

The rest of the girls gawk at her actions with an odd look on their faces.

Deciding that it would be better if we left this place sooner than later, I deliberate on how we're going to get to the Rift from here.

{Direct transportation is possible.}

{Analysis of the data received upon accessing the Core Gateway has been completed.}

{According to the assessed data, if a gateway is used for the first time in five centuries, direct transportation to the Rift is possible.}

What if it's not the first time?

{The entity that has passed through will dissipate into oblivion within days unless third party forces intervene.}

Well, I'd be damned. I assume that the 'third party forces' you refer to are Anomalies that can transport souls, right?

{Affirmative.}

I see.

{Father, there is more to the data.}

Oh, what is it?

{Time-Chain has been analyzed.}

What's that?

{Father could exchange the three time-freeze remnants for a Time-Key.}

{The Time-Key will hasten the speed anywhere Father is.}

So, you're telling me that if I have that thing while in the Rift, time will flow slower in other Platforms?

{Affirmative.}

How slower? Is the exchange permanent?

{Due to lack of data, I'm unable to determine the ratio. The exchange is not permanent, but there are consequences.}

I assume that the consequences are not known?

{Affirmative.}

I thought so. This is not a risk I'm willing to take at the moment. There are too many uncertain factors. Besides, I don't need it right now anyway.

"Hey, how long are we going to stay here?" Krul impatiently questions.

"Okay, okay," I wryly say, "We will leave now."

Irene, forget the Time-Key and whatnot. Transport us to the Rift.

{Affirmative. Initiating transportation. Releasing the Rift.}

The next moment, something similar to a black-hole appears a few meters away from me and begins to gently pull us toward itself.

"Master?!" Siesta exclaims out of panic.

A serious expression appears on Krul's face as she attempts to resist the force.

Gabriel and Aruru both make their way to my sides and hold my arms before trying to pull me away from the force, while Yuno wordlessly gets pulled.

I feel a light tug on my hair, which I reckon is Eri doing so in fear of the 'black-hole'.

Irene, is this what will transport us?

{Affirmative.}

Hearing this, I release a sigh of relief before opening my mouth and saying in a loud voice, "Don't panic. That's the thing we're supposed to get inside."

The girls all stop resisting and let the force pull them.

Shortly, Saturnus, who was the closest and the calmest about this situation gets covered in golden light before disappearing into the 'black-hole'.

A few seconds later, Tiffania has the same thing happen to her.

After that is Ddraig who has been silent during the whole trip while glaring at me every given moment. Looks like the memory of my punishment is still vivid for her.

I must've hurt her maiden heart.

As such, all of us get sucked into the 'black-hole'.

What follows is a long tunnel similar to the one I went through when I entered Sorcerers' Lair.

A few moments later, we all exit the tunnel, only to find ourselves falling hundreds of meters above the ground.

I take this chance to examine where we're out. Fortunately, we appeared right above Tokyo, but the sector we appeared at is quite a distance away from the mansion.

Well, that doesn't matter.

I directly form a large gateway below us connected to the ground right beside the mansion before passing through it along with the others.

The next moment, we are all rising to the sky due to our momentum, so I make use of Vector Manipulation to cancel the forces pushing us.

As such, we begin falling to the ground at a moderate speed before I cancel the vectors around me once more so that we all gently land.

"That was quite the ride," Krul says with an amazed expression.

"Father is great!" Aruru cheerfully exclaims.

The rest, apart from Ddraig and Saturnus, share their opinion on what just happened. Tiffania happens to be the only one that didn't enjoy it much due to fear.

Well, there is also the fairy atop my head, but she is unable to express herself just yet, so that doesn't count.

Chuckling a little, I examine the mansion and everyone inside it as a grin forms on my face.

Ah, I've missed them all so much...