Chapter 647: Into The Motion
Chapter 647: Into The Motion
A/N: Very sorry about the four Chapters (639 to 642) where there were mistakes. Almond and others appeared in event somehow. But now, that is all fixed. The fights are refined, and corrected.
***
The meeting ended without lingering.
No one stayed behind to repeat what had already been decided. The plan was clear, and more importantly, it was practical. Four days were not a long time, not when they were trying to establish themselves on an entirely new plane against established kingdoms.
They moved.
Almond stepped onto the central plateau, the wide stretch of land lying between the towering central palace and the nine surrounding castles. The scale of everything around them made the plateau feel smaller than it was, but it still spanned far enough to house an army without crowding. Beyond the plateau, the Pocket Realm unfolded in all directions, each biome distinctly different from the others.
To the north, crystalline mountains rose in jagged formations, refracting ambient light into shifting colors. To the east, the ocean stretched endlessly, its surface calm but heavy, as if depth mattered more there than distance. To the south, the forest grew dense and layered, its canopy thick, its ground rich with life. And to the west, the land broke apart into floating slabs, fragments drifting at different heights, constantly shifting.
The others gathered beside Almond, some standing still, others already studying the terrain.
Almond looked across them once before speaking.
"So, according to John’s map, there are Tier-30 to Tier-50 resources in this pocket realm. We’re not stripping anything. We locate, secure, and take samples."
Natalia nodded. "We mark everything properly. No random harvesting."
Ainen had already turned toward the forest. "South is mine."
Saffa, Clovelle, and Fraisea stood with him, already aligned without needing to say it.
"We’ll handle the plant zones," Saffa said.
"That works," Almond replied. "Anything that regrows, take it fully."
Rudra glanced toward the west. "I’ll map the unstable region."
"Hiroshi, Silvester," Almond continued, "ocean."
They moved immediately.
"Maya, Marcus," Almond said, "mountains."
Marcus gave a small nod. "Let’s go."
Maya followed him without hesitation.
"Aryan, Gopu," Almond said, "dense regions and outer zones."
Aryan nodded once. "Got it."
Big D remained where he was, watching the others disperse.
"I’ll handle the resources," he said. "My second deck has zero offense. It’s built for analysis, scouting, and figuring out unknown structures. I’ll break everything down and give you proper suggestions."
Almond nodded. "Good. That’s exactly what we need."
Lily stepped beside him, her gaze already shifting toward the plateau. "We’ll handle integration once you’re done."
Big D gave a small nod. "I’ll map interactions, not just properties."
Rudra turned slightly. "Then we don’t waste time testing blindly."
The group dispersed.
...
Rudra entered the western expanse first.
The moment he crossed into it, the shift was unmistakable. The sense of ground vanished almost instantly, replaced by a fractured field of floating landmasses. Massive slabs of dark stone hung suspended at uneven heights, some drifting slowly through the air, others rotating just enough to distort orientation if one wasn’t paying attention. Between them, smaller fragments hovered and shifted, their movement subtle but constant, like pieces of a puzzle that refused to settle into place.
It was not chaos.
It was structured instability.
Rudra landed on a broad slab, his footing steady despite the slight drift beneath him. He crouched and pressed his hand against the surface, letting his awareness sink into the material rather than relying on sight alone.
The interface formed.
[Nocturn Core Vein]
Tier: 47
He didn’t attempt to extract it.
Instead, he followed it.
The vein extended far beyond the surface, threading through the entire slab in branching patterns that spread outward like roots. It was not a deposit sitting within the land. It *was* part of the land itself, embedded so deeply that removing it carelessly would collapse the structure it supported.
Rudra shifted his stance and began moving along the slab, his perception tracing the density beneath his feet. Certain sections felt heavier, more compact, where the vein thickened. Others were lighter, thinner, and spread out.
"Good," he said quietly, more as confirmation than observation.
He stopped at one of the thicker intersections and broke off a small section, careful not to disrupt the surrounding structure. The fragment rose beside him, held in place as he examined it more closely. The texture, the internal compression, the way it responded to his flow, all of it registered in a single, continuous understanding.
Satisfied, he sent the sample back toward the plateau.
"This entire slab is usable," he muttered.
He extended his flow outward, letting it settle across the floating mass. It left behind a precise signature, not visible, not intrusive, but unmistakable to him. A marker that would remain even when the terrain shifted.
Only then did he move on, stepping across to the next formation without hesitation.
---
To the north, Marcus and Maya entered the crystal mountains.
The terrain there did not shift like the west, but it distorted perception differently. Light refracted through the crystalline surfaces, bending angles, and stretching distances so that what looked close might be several steps away, and what seemed distant might be within reach.
Marcus slowed as they approached a narrow fracture running through the mountain.
"There’s something below," he said, his voice steady.
Maya stepped beside him, her gaze focused. "It’s contained. Stable."
They descended carefully, using the natural structure of the crystal to guide their path rather than forcing their way down.
At the base, a chamber opened.
Suspended within it was a mass of liquid, held in place without spilling, its surface shifting slowly as if it were breathing within the crystalline boundary that contained it.
Marcus activated the interface.
[Aetherion Prismwell]
Tier: 42
He let out a quiet breath. "Anchored formation. It’s part of the chamber."
Maya nodded. "If we disturb it too much, the structure goes with it."
They didn’t approach it recklessly.
Instead, they circled the chamber, observing how the liquid responded. It pulsed faintly, reacting to proximity, its movement subtle but consistent. Maya reached out, not to touch the liquid, but to adjust the surrounding crystal slightly, reinforcing the boundary so that any interaction would not destabilize it.
Marcus waited until the response settled.
Then he extended his hand and carefully extracted a small portion.
The liquid resisted at first, its cohesion holding tight, but then it separated cleanly, condensing into a manageable sample. He sealed it immediately, ensuring it retained its properties.
"That’s enough," Maya said.
He nodded.
They marked the chamber, leaving it intact.
Further along, Marcus paused near a crystalline wall where another structure revealed itself.
[Shardveil Crystal Cluster]
Tier: 39
This formation extended deep into the mountain, far beyond what was visible.
Marcus extracted a few fragments, precise and controlled.
Maya watched the surrounding structure closely. "Don’t overtake it. The load distribution matters."
"I know," Marcus replied.
He stopped after a few samples, leaving the rest untouched.
---
The eastern ocean stretched outward in a calm, uninterrupted expanse.
Hiroshi stepped onto the surface without breaking it, his weight distributing evenly. Silvester stood beside him, his attention already focused beneath the water.
"Don’t go straight down," Silvester said. "Let’s find where it changes."
They moved across the surface, observing the subtle differences in movement. Most of the ocean flowed uniformly, but certain regions felt denser, the waves slightly heavier, the motion just a bit delayed.
"There," Silvester said, pointing.
They descended.
The deeper they went, the more the water resisted them. It pressed inward, compressing around their movement without becoming turbulent.
At a certain depth, the formations revealed themselves.
Clusters of droplets hovered in place, suspended without drifting.
[Gravemire Droplet Cluster]
Tier: 39
"Connected structure," Hiroshi said, narrowing his gaze.
The droplets were not separate. They were linked through invisible pressure lines, forming a cohesive network.
"Don’t break the network," Silvester added.
Hiroshi adjusted his approach.
Instead of taking a droplet directly, he cut through a small portion of the pressure structure that held them together. The connection loosened just enough for a single droplet to separate cleanly.
Silvester contained it immediately.
"That’s enough," Hiroshi said.
They marked the cluster.
Further out, the density increased again.
[Tidebound Core Field]
Tier: 41
Multiple cores embedded within a region of heavier water.
They extracted one.
Only one.
Anything more would risk destabilizing the field.
---
The southern forest felt alive in a way the other regions did not.
Ainen moved ahead with Saffa, Clovelle, and Fraisea, his attention shifting constantly between the ground, the canopy, and the layers in between.
"This place is packed," he said, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.
They reached a meadow where growth layered over itself in dense clusters.
Ainen crouched and activated the interface.
[Silvara Bloom Field]
Tier: 36
"We take everything here."
They moved immediately, but not carelessly.
Saffa handled extraction, removing plants cleanly from the ground without damaging the regenerative base. Clovelle ensured each separation remained precise, preventing unnecessary loss. Fraisea collected and organized, keeping everything intact for later use.
They didn’t rush.
They worked efficiently.
Further in, the growth thickened.
[Eldercoil Grove]
Tier: 44
Ainen slowed. "Careful here. Don’t damage the roots."
They adjusted their approach, extracting in a way that preserved the grove’s ability to regenerate.
Nearby—
[Verdant Crown Patch]
Tier: 40
Fully harvested.
Deeper still—
[Duskmarrow Root Bed]
Tier: 45
Ainen nodded. "Take all of it."
They cleared the area with precision, leaving the structure of the bed intact beneath the surface.
---
Aryan and Gopu moved through denser terrain where the ground held firm and heavy.
[Colossite Mass Formation]
Tier: 48
Gopu struck the surface lightly, feeling the resistance. "Dense."
Aryan nodded. "We take a section, not more."
They extracted a controlled piece, maintaining the integrity of the formation.
Nearby—
[Ironveil Core Bed]
Tier: 46
They took a portion and marked the rest.
---
Hours passed.
Not quickly.
Not slowly.
Just steadily.
One by one, they returned.
The plateau began to fill, not with piles or clutter, but with measured samples. Each piece placed with intent, each one representing something larger still anchored in the realm.
Big D had already prepared the layout.
Sections were clearly divided. Markers placed. Containment fields ready.
"Put everything here," he said. "I’ll handle classification."
They followed without question.
Ore to one side.
Liquids stabilized.
Plants separated.
Nodes isolated.
Everything organized.
Almond stood at the center, looking over the gathered samples.
"This looks good," he smiled.
Ainen placed the harvested plant materials down. "And enough to start cooking a variety of new dishes."
Everyone’s stomach instinctively reacted. The terrifying addition of his food scared them a bit.
Rudra glanced toward the western horizon. "The real resources are still out there."
Almond nodded.
"Yes."
He looked at the gathered samples.
"I’ll start cooking food for our buffs with these high-tier ingredients I got." Ainen grinned.
He promptly left.
"Leave the resources to me," Big D said. "My second deck has zero offense. It’s all about analysis, scouting, and figuring out mysteries. I’ll craft several suggestions to use them."
"Then we’ll move on to creating our army." Rudra nodded. "Almond and Lily, you two got the substance and essence for our army, so creating lifeforms is up to you."
"The rest can create modifications. We’ll create ten different types of humanoids, each with its unique combat arsenal."
"Sounds exciting." Silvester chuckled. "James and Aarav would have loved this, but those fools are taking their time in the second layer."
"They said they’d come after a year." Hiroshi shook his head. "Anyway, let’s begin. It’s time to brainstorm."
Marcus grinned. "We gotta make a broken army, so let’s go all out."
"We three sisters know just what to give to our army from us." Saffa grinned. "We’ll begin right away. Adios."
They left.
The others also left, except for Almond.
"As for you ten..." Almond looked at the ten idle Asura Executives.
They were of no use here, so Almond got an idea.
He summoned his Spirit Lords.
"You will go with my Spirit Lords."
Suddenly, seven different sparks lit up on the side before seven figures appeared.
Alfred, Sylvia, Benedict, Galvaren, Meliora, Velkris, and Nyssara.
"You seven are for a big upgrade soon, so before that, complete this task." Almond smiled at his Spirit Lords.
"Your wish is our command, my lord." Alfred bowed, his rapier glistering under light rays.
Almond smiled and looked at the Asura Executives. "The task is to get the details of the four kingdoms, specifically their military power. Keep a low-profile, but be bold in search, and move fast. You all have a wide variety of cards, so work with my Spirit Lords."
"And I’ve modified my 5th card of the second deck into what we were lacking. Now you don’t need to worry about your deaths, so go and die for the intel. I’ll resurrect you."
"You acquired resurrection power in your arsenal now, my lord?"
Almond smiled. "I can store a living being’s Spirit Print, and connect their soul with it. If you are about to die, it will trigger the card’s effect, and your soul will return to me. Then I can completely resurrect you via the Spirit Print using Spirit Force, which I can gain by sacrificing Fabricated Spirits, and I have plenty of them."
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