The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 331 - The Essence Revolution Of A Reincarnated Sigilist & Her Swordswoman

Chapter 331: Chapter 331 - The Essence Revolution Of A Reincarnated Sigilist & Her Swordswoman

The forest path that once led Qatrand and the squad of Ironclad members to a mysterious essence reading that ended up being a gravity distortion made by archaic sigils was now well cleared and marked. Guiding a purposeful expedition team as they moved with the urgency of wartime.

A brisk pace that still maintained awareness of their surroundings. For while some of the Voidlings had been scattered, that did not make them threatless. Qatrand took point, her heavy blade occasionally catching glimpses of sunlight as she shifted it to navigate the terrain.

Her pigeon blue eyes scanned constantly for threats, though her attention and stray spirit tendrils periodically drifted to her wife who walked several paces behind with Master Jevri and the others bringing up the rear.

"The site has changed significantly since the initial discovery. We’ve established a proper research base with some reinforced structures thanks to the Earthen Fellowship and sigil-enhanced barriers designed by our Guild."

"And the containment?"

"The core of the anomaly has been stabilized - mostly."

"Mostly?"

Ryder voiced in a skeptical tone. The Void Defense Society member had maintained a professional manner throughout their long march, though his gaze occasionally lingered on the Goltbred heiress with a curiosity that bordered on suspicion.

As a high ranking official, he was of course in the know about this project. He thought. No one had told him that Elua had visited the location to *help* the sigilists with ’more experience’ than her.

’Yes, just focus on me and forget all about your silly little fading hostilities against the absolute best Yecine that currently exists~’

Thousands of moments with her beloved ran through her head before her next step forward fell to the ground.

’Wait, what has gotten into me? I meant *ever* existed!’

While an ancient cultivator was busy refining her ’fan value’, Master Jevri laughed at the longsword wielder. Its sound was slightly too loud for their circumstances, but they were rather close to their destination. His tension had lowered because of it.

"Well, that’s precisely why we need Miss Goltbred here. Her containment designs have been the only ones to hold back anything consistently."

The heiress dipped into a courtesy between steps, the fox trotting alongside her planting its head down in mimicry. A sight that she made sure they did not see. Along the way she had discovered that the creature was a little too enthusiastic to please and show off its intelligence.

"You flatter me. Though I’m curious about how the essence flows have shifted during my absence. Have you been tracking the fluctuation patterns for signs of change when the Descent closed in, as I suggested?"

"Meticulously! We’ve logged every variation, no matter how minor. The data indicates increasing instability near what we’ve designated as the northwestern quadrant. The timing of these fluctuations has accelerated since things began."

"Could it be connected to the Voidlings somehow?"

The archer of their group called back from the rear and the old man rounded on him with vigorous nodding.

"An astute question. We believe there’s no direct connection, but rather a sympathetic resonance. When the barriers between worlds thin during a Descent, almost all essence-based phenomena become more volatile."

Qatrand listened with one ear. This was consistent with what Elua had privately explained to her before. As well as the information on the illusory training tool, which essentially amounted to the same kind of private talks.

She still preferred learning from her in person.

"But that’s all the more reason to study the enemy’s interaction with controlled gravity fields. Alongside what we are trying to learn from the strange sigils themselves, the information gathered could some day revolutionize our defensive capabilities for future cycles."

"Or provide insights into offensive applications."

Ryder added quietly. Elua smiled while letting the observation hang in the air for a moment before she turned around and walked backwards. On her face was an ’innocent’ expression carefully constructed to appear naively thoughtful.

"Both defensive and offensive knowledge are valuable in a war, wouldn’t you agree? The line between protecting and attacking often blurs when survival is at stake."

"A convenient philosophy."

The man responded with a slight incline of his head, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

"Perhaps. Just as convenient as immediately thinking of war upon every discovery. What about logistics? Sigils that lower the effective mass of freight. Or construction, with uses that might bind materials tightly together with a temporary ritual before they are fastened more permanently."

Qat turned back fully to watch the cute girl debate Ryder. Her wife’s fragment pulsed with ’amusement’ and a deeper satisfaction that suggested the conversation was proceeding exactly as planned. An emotion specifically described as ’scheme success’.

She suppressed a sigh and held out her hands to grip onto small shoulders as the brunette intentionally walked backward into her stopped form. The little actress even pretended to jump with ’shock’ and scratch her chin.

With that, the Yecine took the opportunity to change the subject.

"How much further? The path looks quite different from last time I was here."

"Another half-hour at most. Though we should start seeing the outer markers soon."

As if on cue, they passed a tree bearing a small marking branded on its bark within the next minute. To untrained eyes it might have appeared as nothing more than a natural deformation. But Qatrand and the other Order members recognized it immediately.

The illusionist’s steps slowed as they passed the marked tree, squatting down at it. Her fingers brushed against the fox’s fur as it asked for attention as her other hand poked at the mark. A rather inferior essence-sensing ritual that made no distinctions.

"Something troubling you?"

A low voice asked from above, having noticed the change in her wife’s pace and returned to guard her. Humming came in reply, before the sigil prodigy’s voice answered with enough tension for Qatrand to recognize it as ’genuine’ - even without the ’recalculating’ emotion she was feeling from her.

"Not troubling, exactly... But the essence even way out here feels... different than before. More agitated than my last visit."

Jevri turned back with sudden concern. He would hardly ever doubt his husband’s little mentee. Not after all the good advice delivered since she came into the Coiled Serpent Guild.

"In what way?"

"It’s subtle. Almost like the anomaly is reaching farther than it did before. The boundaries are less... defined. Possibly due to this instability you mentioned."

Her facade of the ’naive’ youth who understood more than others was perfectly maintained. Especially with the authenticity of her observation. The researcher’s expression shifted to one of deep thought.

"That aligns with our recent measurements. The containment sigils require near-constant adjustment lately."

"If this is the furthest marker in this direction, it is being fed ambient information from this change that it cannot ignore. I hope they have scouts doing their jobs properly and are not relying on this alone..."

"All the more reason to proceed quickly with caution."

Qatrand nodded at the Void Defense member after he spoke his suggestion. She felt exactly the same.

"We’ll continue forward but maintain a higher alert. Helace, take rear guard. Ryder, stay close to Master Jevri. I’ll lead with my wife beside me."

Her decision was made with calm assurance and the repositioning happened smoothly. Each member fell into their assigned place without question. However, a brief flicker of satisfaction could be seen in those mint eyes she loved.

Silent but physical acknowledgment that, once again, the Yecine had placed them together without needing to be asked. Now that she was a Primalist, she could sense things so much better. But being stronger also came with other considerations.

"El, can you let up just a little?"

"Of course."

The pressure of cloudy spirit squeezing in pulses against the swordswoman lowered their rate and intensity. While much of the *growth* would come with time and self-reflection... Qatrand manipulating her own spirit through the viscous but loving press of energy from El was an excellent test of control and endurance.

Or at least, that’s the reasonable excuse that the reborn cultivator had used to allow herself to flex more of her higher realm spirit on the other girl. While she had not lied, the real purpose was definitely the second factor. Having more of herself in direct contact with her ’fortress’ at all times was obviously the goal!

⟠ ⟠ ⟠

The quarters assigned to Anper er Yecine within the fort were spacious by wartime standards. A privilege of rank and family standing that felt increasingly hollow as he paced the polished stone floor. This large room did not further the actual cultivation resources of his family as a whole.

His footsteps echoed with each agitated turn.

’Three days.’

Three days since the first incursion points had appeared, after a whole week since every mortal and cultivator alike had moved into their positions for the war. And still there had been no word from Teovar or any contact related to him.

The merchant’s promise echoed in his mind, fueling his anger with each recollection.

"Three days after the Descent at the latest - I *assure* you."

A knock at the door interrupted his brooding and sneering voiced words. He composed himself before calling out permission to enter. Second fiddle to the Hero of the Last Descent had a strong feeling in his heart.

’I am not getting what I want in the way they said I would, am I?’

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at f(r)eew𝒆bnov𝒆l.com Only