Magic Of Mana Book 1: The First Tragedy
Chapter 8: The Holy City of Topaz (Part 2)

Chapter 8's

Holy City of Topaz (Part 2)

“See, aurora is already visible! It means we are getting closer,” said Ricky who walked in position just behind Roah in the Shumi group line and made everyone behind him turn towards the sky, trying to trace the gap of the leafy leaves.

Night comes again because in winter, the sun is only a few hours to visit this northern land. Shumi and all of his entourage were still walking and only paused a few times just to grab some water and stretch their leg muscles.

The forest this time back dense, but dominated by towering vines and giant fern plants. The existing rocks have also been covered with a kind of moss and algae. Sometimes, drops of water seem to freeze due to the cold air around them.

“That means tonight too we will get there?” ask Shumi.

“Yes, not until three hours we should have arrived,” replied Ricky who was still watching Roah who continued to open the path in front of him.

Shumi looked back. He finds Shukoi and the ogres behind him. He nodded towards Shukoi and nodded back, then he turned his gaze forward.

“Maybe when we get there we have to part,” said Shumi, “probability that can enter only I am one, although I do not know what kind of care will be there.”

“Yes, you already know who's looking there, right? I just put that away!” suhut Ricky, “I will wait at the lips of this forest.”

Shumi remained silent. He didn't expect Ricky to plan on doing that. He thought Ricky would whistle to get into the city. That is, Shumi does not ask Shukoi to help him break Ricky's stubborn head.

“Alright,” respond Shumi.

Three hours less they walked and finally what they were waiting for had revealed its form. Shumi ran ahead of Ricky and Roah who were in front of him as he exited the northern forest and entered the green, but very shiny expanse of grassland.

“Finally!” shumi said a little loudly.

“It's cold here! But, the grass is still green even though it has been coated with ice, yes?!” ricky said he ignored Shumi who was having fun.

They all came out of the forest and stopped at the lips of the forest. Seen hundreds of meters in front of them, a set of buildings surrounded by a large round wooden fortress, similar to a very large tree trunk and made pointed at the end. The fort looks shaped like a circle around the city, similar to the fortress in Throttling City.

From a distance they could see the surrounding mountain city at its center. There were also auroras just above the city and occasionally traversing the sky above them stood at this time up to the top of the forest. The city was filled with lights like torches on the outside of each building with different colors of fire so that the light of the city was visible, unlike Throttling City which is quite dark at night like this.

“Holy city of Topaz,” Shumi said staring at the city with teary eyes.

“The Fallen City of Topaz!” correction Ricky.

“Whatever its name and history!” reply Shumi, “I am so amazed! This is the first city I visited!”

“Hah?!” Ricky was suddenly surprised.

Shumi was wrong. “Emm, I mean, the first city I visited with a bright light like this, and of course a very high level of difficulty!” he tried to cover up his lies. “Access, you know?” he added.

“Ha..ha..ha…! Yes me too, just this time arrived here with this kind of difficulty! Pretty troublesome, but yes inevitably, right?” respond Ricky.

“Don't be like that! You don't seem to be sincerely looking for someone who can cure your mother!” shumi and Ricky snapped only in a grin while scratching the back of his head.

“Nona, we better try looking around first. I'm worried about their guard on a night like this!” Shukoi.

Shumi agreed with a nod, but Ricky refused.

“No need! They do not prepare any guard like your city in general! The city is already heavily protected with layers of ancient magic that only allow people with quartz blood to enter!” obviously Ricky.

Shumi sharpened his eyebrows and said, “are you sure? Any idea where you're from about that?”

“So let's just hide in the woods first, then let one of the Ogres try to cross it, so we know where that layer starts too! Ogre will resist magic, so it will be safer! And also, the guards would not suspect if the one who tried to penetrate the protector was a lost ogre, right?” obviously Ricky.

All the troupe re-entered the forest but with a distance that could still pay attention to what was happening to the city. Moah was chosen to be the actor Ricky's plan so that only he was still standing on the side of the meadow and facing towards the city.

Ricky plucked his finger, a sign for Moah to begin his mission. He walked slowly towards the City of Topaz and began to pass through the meadow. He continued to walk far enough to about halfway between the city fortress and the northern forest lip. It stopped like he saw something and looked back.

Ricky gestured with his hand to tell the ogre to keep going. The ogre walked back hesitantly and…

Clang…! The sound like broken glass appeared and along with the thickening of the ogre a few steps back. The sound was loud enough to break the silence of the night. The ogre staggered and fell seated, still facing towards the City.

Shortly afterwards, there was a white light burning behind the wooden fortress of the city, precisely on the sidelines of the wooden fortress ring on the right side of the ogre. Over time the light shone on him who was still sitting to make the ogre's eyes disturbed.

Moah narrowed his eyes and tried to dispel the beam with his hand while trying to get up slowly. Then, he turned around and walked back into the forest. Throughout his journey, white lights kept watching him.

The ogre re-entered the forest and moments later, the beam vanished. The night was silent.

“That watchdog light will only appear if anyone does not make it through that layer. So, if you can get through it, then it won't show up, Shumi!” ricky said trying to deduce the results of his study.

“Alright, I will try it, but not with the same path!” shumi Response. Then he got up and prepared. He took off his waist bag, then grabbed his coat. He took out a clear potion bottle from his bag, the shape was like a perfume bottle.

“What's that banquet?” ask Ricky.

“This, Shukoi! I'm dropping this!” said Shumi giving her waist bag. “Please take care of this, yes!” he added. He then sprayed the contents in the bottle in his hand all over his body until it ran out.

Shukoi and Ricky continued to observe. Moments later, Shumi slowly disappears and makes Ricky surprised.

“Excellent! You're an expert in making potions, huh?” praise Ricky.

Shumi who did not care about Ricky's praise immediately prepared. “I go!” he then turned around running out of the forest.

As soon as he set foot on the frozen water-covered meadow, he ran westward. He turned slightly to the position of his flock and they thought he was still running straight along with Moah earlier and this made him smile.

He ran fast. Suddenly he remembered the hut and atmosphere in his dream when he was born first. He had wanted to find the hut, but he realized that the incident had been very long, likely destroyed, so he abandoned his intentions. He ran for about five minutes and no longer saw his friends, then stopped.

“Hopefully succeed!” he walked a little fast towards the city. He continued walking, until he saw like there was a transparent sheath that soared high like a dome. The veil protects the city inside. “This makes Moah stop for a moment, because with a close distance, this sheath is visible,” he said to himself.

He slowly stepped back, tried to bump himself into the veil, and…

“Successful!” he said in his heart. He passed through that veil. He looked back to be sure and indeed saw the veil now behind him. He smiled at himself satisfied with the results he had gone through.

He put his feet back forward. Now there is another sheath with the same shape and color. He was full of confidence and continued to step up and made it through no less than five layers of sheath.

After passing through several layers of sheath, Shumi saw like there was no more layer of sheath and the wooden fortress in front of him had prevented him from seeing the contents of the city. “It's very close!” abugn.

Full of confidence, he again walked until he could really reach the wooden fortress. He was very happy about this. “But I have to find the door first!” lirih.

He again walked rather quickly westward through the wooden fortress beside him. He continued walking for a long time until he finally managed to find a large tightly closed wooden door that was slightly indented into the inside. He walked in to him.

“That door seems like it should open to the outside,” he said inwardly as he observed the hinges of the door made of iron at both ends, “how can I enter?”

Shumi walked back, trying to find a gap by fumbling through the door, all of a sudden…

Clang…! The sound of glass breaking again rang out and made Shumi bounce back to parallel with the rows of wooden fortresses outside. The clash was so strong that slowly Shumi could not help but hold his eyelids to close.

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