Chapter 34: Red Shard

"The Guardian of the Tabernacle nearby has culled this hard of all it's enemies. After all, something this dangerous near a respawn point could be disastrous for adventurers."

That did make sense, now that Agni thought about it. The more she came to learn about shards the more she realized the danger they represented. Alternate realms, overlapping with reality that have the capability to spawn monsters and expand indefinitely. If left unchecked the world of Adventia would be crawling with Grimlock.

"To find some Grimlock we will need to visit a different point, yes." Bracha said.

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Ultimately they left the shard near the Tabernacle and continued to walk much deeper into the forest. Another two hours by Agni's estimate.

"Why haven't we seen any Grimlock yet? Did Wayla slay all of the Stags outside of the shards as well?" Katrin had proven herself to be a valuable resource for asking questions Agni probably should have considered at some point.

"While Grimlock certainly are active during the day, it depends on the species, truly. Fulger Stag are common in this forest. They tend to be more active in the evening."

"So where are they now?" Agni asked.

"In hiding, sleeping -- who knows what Grimlocks do. Some make dens, others find caves or high reaching places where humans cannot see."

*Much like animals, they tend to stay out of sight of humans--unless they want something.* Agni thought to herself as she gazed into the distance of the forest. She wondered just how many of the creatures surrounded her at this exact moment. The thought wasn't exactly pleasant but she felt confident that if a wild Grimlock appeared, she could fend it off.

The trio continued their hike through the forest for a little while longer. It was now mid afternoon judging by the position of the sun and the trio finally came upon their next shard.

"Bracha, how are you able to find these shards?" Katrin asked. Agni's mind had been so wrapped up in all the things she'd seen and experienced during the day that she never even thought about it.

"Systema. Once you reach rank 1, your Systema will unlock features related to dealing with shards. That includes marking the location of nearby shards automatically on your map."

"Now, before we enter I want to teach you about Systema shortcuts. As you may have noticed, upon leveling your Systema's capabilities occasionally expand or upgrade. Once you reach rank 2, you will even be able to customize your Systema's features. Once you reach level 25 or higher, I think-- it's been so long I don't remember." Bracha paused as she struggled to recall the exact level, "Systema shortcuts will be made known to you. I say that because, even though they are inactive, if you know the right commands the system will comply. Shortcuts allow you to quickly use items switch gear or activate system features. I'm going to teach you two such shortcuts right now."

"I.C. : Yue Restoration Potion, Katrin!" Bracha said.

Instantly a familiar green aura washed over Katrin's body as a healing potion was consumed from Bracha's inventory.

"The command I.C. is short for Item Consume. It can be used for consumables to activate them without accessing your inventory. Next is W.C.."

As Bracha spoke the letters a short sword appeared in her right hand.

"As you may have guessed, W.C. stands for the Weapon Call command. You can also use it like this : W.C. Dagger."

The shortsword in Bracha's hand was now replaced by a small double edged dagger.

"Finally, I want to teach you one of the most important commands. S.C., followed by the name of whichever Systema command you want to activate. This can be used to activate the 'Recall' spell we have loaded in the Systema."

After a brief explanation and trying the feature out several times Bracha then directed their attention to the shard several meters away.

Already Agni could feel the familiar sensation of oppression prickling against her skin. This shard seemed different however.

"There are two types of shards. PUD and Constant. PUD basically stands for Pop Up Dungeon and as you can see, PUD types have a red outline surrounding the entrance." As Bracha pointed towards the floating object Agni indeed noticed a faint red line of translucent energy bordering the shard portal.

"Unlike the Constant shard we entered some hours ago, PUDs appear somewhat randomly. They will not disappear until adventurers go inside to defeat all of the Grimlock within. As for why it must be done this way, no one knows the true reason. Thus the names, PUD and Constant shards."

Bracha seemed as if she wanted to continue explaining, but she decided against it before motioning for Katrin and Agni to follow her into the nearby shard. The same sensations began to overtake them the moment they stepped through. Feeling somewhat prepared they used the mana layer technique only to find that it was much more difficult to sustain in this new shard.

The atmosphere was even more oppressive, the stench permeating the air was now burning their nostrils slightly. Even visibility was compromised due to the grey , fog-like miasma which lingered around them.

Simply maintaining a mana coating required roughly twice the mana as before. Even then, both began to suffer the effects of a dull headache within the first minute of standing about as Bracha waited for them to acclimate to their environment.

"I don't intend to offer you help unless you need it, and if at any time I feel you both are in danger I will recall us, yes?" Bracha looked to them both for confirmation before she nodded and allowed them to step forth into the surrounding area.

Though Agni could not see the Grimlock she felt eyes upon her, it was an unmistakable feeling. She shot a glance over to Katrin who seemed ready to act at a moment's notice. Together the pair slowly moved forth into the misty grey of the red shard's confines.