The book that Adela brought was old and ancient. Yellowish pages that were slowly turning brown already, and might break when handled. Some of them were broken beyond repair.

  The stones looked similar to the ones I had, but different colors, shining between blue and green, with cut edges that evidenced they were worked on.

  [Analysing… these are Refined Ether Stones. Differently to the ones you have, these have been worked on and prepared to use for magical needs.]

  Forehead used one to teleport, if I remembered correctly.

  Adela, who had more control over her magic, was using air magic to control the pages.

  What little was legible were drawings of a city, the sea, and some letters, but so far, nothing that signified magical ritual to summon a monster.

  Although, I could barely tell. I could not read any of the words.

  [Translating…]

  Ah, but I had my great assistant, Erika!

  [This language seems to be Sekithan. The vocabulary seems to be modern, but the books appears to be at least a hundred years old.]

  “Sekithan?”

  “Alice?” Aspen perked her ears towards me.

  I thought out loud.

  “Y-yeah, that is what this seems to be…” I answered.

  “Odd… Sekithan… sounds familiar…”

  “You should know, Aspen.." Adela smiled, "You always came to listen to the tales when you were a little pup. Sekith is one of the kingdoms mentioned in some of Ella’s tales.”

  [Sekith is one of the oldest Kingdoms. Originally founded by the alliance of two species, Humans and Unerisen, eventually turned into a meeting point of many other intelligent species. It is, however, not found in this world. It is on another world connected to this one]

  Oh, that made sense…

  Hold on!

  [Yes?]

  “This book is from another world?!” I asked out loud.

  “What?!” Aspen asked.

  “Hmmm? Then this book is like you?” Adela waited for me to answer.

  [Negative… this book was most likely written by someone in this world based on the materials of the book. The paper appears composed of materials found only in this one. But the writer might have been from Sekith]

  She was making it sound like world traveling was common in that world.

  [I was waiting for you to see it outside, but with this information, I should explain it. Traveling between worlds is common thanks to the existence of a magical portal called The Crossing. Sekith is a kingdom of a world connected to this one through this method]

  Then what about Earth?

  [Negative. No Earth found in the database]

  “Ugh… this is more complicated than I thought.” I thanked I could not get headaches, “let’s see what this book says.”

  We took our time checking the book, but barely found anything. Illegible, broken phrases littered the book.

  But there was something we noticed, that made us aware of what kind of book it was.

  A guide to a town called Khalei.

  …Guide to Khalei… port… omg of Greenell…

  A port town? Maybe that is why there were some pictures of the sea.

  Humans and… ard… elves one day gave us the… thus we connected to the Crossing.

  Elves were a thing in this world?

  There was a picture of some elves, and on the side was a lizard man and a…

  “I-Is that a…” I stuttered when I saw it.

  [The lizard man is an Izzard. The woman with fox like ears and tails is an Unerisen]

  “A-are you telling me… that fox girls exist in this world?!”

  “Fox girls?” Aspen seemed confused, “what are you talking about?”

  I wanted to leave more than ever! Fox girls! They were real! I wanted to meet one and touch her ears and tail! The one in the picture looked fluffy!

  Ah… but I did not have hands… truly, a Greek tragedy!

  [Please, focus… I am noticing some contradictions between the book and some facts]

  “Ah!” Focus, Alice!

  [Move to page 24, please]

  I guided Adela to show that page.

  There was a building in the picture, one that seemed oddly familiar. It appeared to be a government building, with two banners with trees on the sides. The architecture seemed post Renaissance, tall windows that ended in a point on top, maybe close to something I would see in Victorian movies and shows. There was a bit of sky visible on what was still legible.

  There was a plaza in front, and a tower…

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  “Adela, bring the book!”

  We ran out, to the same building we used for the meetings and to speak to the rest of the wolves.

  It was what I suspected. The buildings were similar, but ours was clearly damaged by the elements. The plaza, and the tower in the same spot.

  “This is the town in that book.” I said.

  “Well, it could make sense, wouldn't it?” Aspen approached the tower and smellednit, “that idiot found it here, after all.”

  No, it didn’t.

  [This is a contradiction with my database. Khalei is a port town, and it was founded on an archipelago, not by or inside a mountain.]

  I had figured that out already. How did that town end up inside of a cave?

  [...this isn’t right. I am trying to find an explanation for this information. However, nothing comes to mind.]

  Erika didn’t know.

  When I explained the contradiction, Adela went into deep thought.

  “Hmmm… Ella’s tales do not speak of an event like this.”

  “Yeah… how come this town ended up buried under here?” Aspen asked.

  That was one mystery to solve.

  The next one was how did Forehead gain power from that book and stones?

  We searched the book more, going towards the last pages.

  And then we saw it.

  The page was yellowed and hardened thanks to the time exposed, and the ridges on it made very specific movements… through which Ether was moving.

  Some of them were words we found on the rest of the book.

  [Warning! High Ether density detected cursing through-]

  Before Erika could finish the sentence, I closed the book by hitting it with my handle. I don’t know what it was, but it made me feel uneasy! Something bad was going to happen if we continued staring at that page!

  “You felt it too, right?” Adela's eyes darkened, looking at the book, “something was living inside that page.”

  “Then I was not crazy! I felt something too!” Aspen got on her four paws, “it said something about unlimited power!”

  “What? I did not hear a thing.” I moved closer to her.

  “Huh? But it was speaking…”

  Adela approached Aspen, and stared directly into her eyes. "Hmmmm..."

  “W-what?” Aspen visibly recoiled by taking a step back.

  “You always asked me to teach you how to use magic… just as he did.”

  “Right! Adela said you shouldn’t follow that path,” I remembered Aspen said something like that when we met.

  “Y-yeah… why are you two bringing that up?”

  “I think… that was Ramad trying to get you to summon him, Aspen.” Adela stared into the book.

  [Adela is right. On the page, I could see a few symbols that spelled the name Ramad in Sekithan.]

  That book was dangerous! But why a travel guide? And why the ridges? Was that some form of unfortunate coincidence?

  [Coincidences like that are not in the realm of the impossible, but they are too unlikely to even consider the chance. Summoning circles and sigils are too finicky to appear by chance. It is more highly probable that Ramad was aiming at people curious with thirst for power and made the summoning possible. Whatever kind of entity he is, they most likely can affect the world without needing to be in here.]

  That meant the promise he made was not empty. He was intending to return.

  I took the book and stones with me. It didn’t give us the answers we wanted, nothing about the demon that lurked by the exit. Yet, I could not remove that ominous feeling. I was going to check the book again later. Maybe we were missing something.

  [You got Guide Book to Khalei! (Cursed)]

  [You got 4 Refined Minor Ether Stones!]

  [You got 3 Refined Greater Ether Stones!]

  [Explanation: Refined Ether Stones are processed versions of the stones you have. You can use them as a source of Ether to gain more XP while training. This is not an immediate increase in XP. Or, alternatively, you can use them to improve a spell power without using extra MP or to use a spell with more power than what you would normally be capable of using.]

  They were much better! I still had my normal Ether Stones, which I had not been using, but I could give them use as I was training my followers and even myself!

  }------------------------------------------o~o------------------------------------------{

  Hours later, I went to find both Luna and Fir as they returned from hunting.

  “So, how did the hunt go?” I asked them.

  “Invigorating!” Luna sat with demure, dignified as always, “it had been a while since I went out to hunt for food.”

  “Haha! Same! I feel like I could devour the whole world!” Fir answered with his tongue out, panting in excitement.

  Those two were too different.

  [Luna won a level, now she is Level 07/10.]

  “I suppose the hunt was easy.” I hid my disappointment, as I wanted them to get more levels. But progress was progress, anyway.

  “Yep! All thanks to you, Master Alice!” Fir finally sat.

  I just wished he didn’t praise me that much, it was embarrassing.

  [And I deserve part of the credit!]

  “Now, I want you two to use these when you go out to train.” I spawned a couple of the stones in front of him. They began to sniff them.

  “I sense magic in them,” Luna finished sniffing them, “what are these?”

  “Solidified Ether. They will help you become stronger as you continue hunting. The more you hunt with these, the better!”

  They looked at each other, and took them in their mouths.

  “We will ask Shin to make us some pouches to carry them to our next hunt.” Fir answered with the stone between his teeth

  “Just don’t bite them too hard or you will activate them.” I warned them.

  Speaking of Shin, I had to go see him. Aspen went there moments before by my order.

  }------------------------------------------o~o------------------------------------------{

  In Shins' workshop, we heard some fighting.

  “Hey! Watch where you touch, you pervert!” Aspen’s voice rang through the area.

  “Ah! To be young again!” Fir sat with a wide smile in his face.

  “You are as dirty minded as always…” Luna rolled her eyes.

  “I highly doubt that is what is happening inside, anyway.” I answered.

  “I said stand still!” Shin yelled, “I cannot get this thing tight if you… there! Oh, hey! That looks bigger!”

  What the hell was happening there!

  “I said let me alone!” Aspen screamed as I heard something fall to the ground.

  Aspen bursted out of the workshop through a window and ran to hide behind me.

  “Alice! This pervert kept touching me!” She aimed at the window with her paw.

  “I told you to stand still!" Shin, angry, sticked his head out through the window, "I cannot do my job without you letting me finish!”

  I looked at Aspen, and what happened in reality was quite obvious.

  On her body, covering her neck, stomach and back was a makeshift but sturdy looking armor made of drakeling scales. Shin did a great job!

  “Yeah? You kept touching my belly and neck!”

  “That is where the knots go, you doof!” Shin growled at her.

  “Hey! That looks quite sturdy! Is it comfortable, Aspen?” I decided to stop the situation.

  “Huh?” She looked at me, and then stood up. She made a full circle and walked a bit. Next she jumped, and then ran a full circle around us. “Hey! I still feel it and it is a bit heavy, but I can move fine!”

  “That is my best job so far!” Shin proudly said, smiling, “the knot Master Alice taught me made it easier to adjust.”

  “This is actually incredible. I never thought we would ever use the scales of those monsters like this!” Fir inspected the armor and smelled it, impressed.

  “Just to show how much we are progressing thanks to Elder Alice.” Luna added, with eyes closed.

  “You two, stop.” I demanded, “Hold still, Aspen.”

  “Still?” She looked confused at me, but stood still

  I swung at the armor on her back. My blade bounced, but she flopped on the ground.

  “Ow! What the hell was that?!” She growled at me, showing me her teeth.

  “You are okay!” And good thing I did not use my whole force.

  “Yeah, but I still felt it! Dammit!” Aspen slowly got up.

  “Huh… I thought they were impenetrable." Fir tilted his head.

  “That is normal.” I answered, “armor is hard to cut, but they will feel the hit. Normally you want to hit with something blunt so it bends and the wearer feels the hit. Aspen threw herself a couple of times against those lizards and got them to tumble to the side.”

  “A blunt attack then…” Luna seemed to be thinking about something.

  “And this is my gift to you, Aspen!” I returned to the topic.

  “Gift?” Her ears perked up.

  “Master Alice asked me to make the first one for you, Aspen.” Shin smiled widely, “I wanted to make it look like a miniature lizard, but she insisted on functionality.”

  But I had to admit, Aspen walking as a mini lizard would be adorable as hell.

  “You are thinking something weird and I know it.” Aspen stared at me, like she read my thoughts.

  With that, we had the last preparation for exploration of the Arakin lands done. What was left was to prepare defenses in case of an attack.

  We had a few days before they would notice the missing group, and more for a counter attack from the King. So we had to move fast.