Chapter 1593: Seeing Something

Everyone at the military base stared at the large monitor mounted in front of them. Captain Adrien stood near the control desk with Billy, Thomas, Conrad, and Major Jessica, while Erend watched from beside them.

He could not afford to miss this moment. They finally had a direct view of the actual location where the mysterious Magic disturbance occurred, and whatever happened next could reveal the cause of the anomaly.

Everyone in the room wore a serious expression, but Erend’s face looked particularly grim.

He clenched his jaw while studying the images on the monitor, his mind turning over several possibilities. A genuine Magic phenomenon was unfolding in their world again and he had no idea how serious the consequences might become.

He hoped the incident would end without causing further trouble, but his instincts told him otherwise. Something about the situation felt wrong and he had learned from experience that such feelings were mostly true.

They had already seen the black-scaled creature that attacked Cody’s team and Erend immediately recognized that it did not belong to this world.

However, he doubted that a creature like that had the ability to open a portal between dimensions on its own. It might have some unusual powers, but creating a passage between worlds required something far more.

If his suspicion was correct, then the reptile was only one part of a much larger problem. Something else had brought it here, and whatever that thing was could pose a much greater threat than the creature.

A few seconds after the fight began, the monitor finally revealed what happened next. A figure descended from above at tremendous speed and crashed into the ground where Cody and his teammates had stood moments earlier.

The soldiers scattered just in time, narrowly escaping an impact that might have crushed them beneath the figure’s weight.

The figure was a man with long black hair and a cold face turned into a scowl. He wore a long black coat that looked strangely out of place. His posture looks confident, and even through the monitor, his presence seemed to radiate danger.

Erend immediately suspected that this man was responsible for the portal and the Magic disturbance.

Erend let out a long sigh as he watched the man approach Cody’s team. Whatever had brought him to this world, the problem was unlikely to disappear soon.

"Great. Just when I thought I could finally get some rest."

He rubbed his forehead briefly, already thinking about what this meant for his plans.

He still needed to travel with Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven to search for the final world connected to the Dragonborn legacy, but this new development could delay their departure.

He would have to inform the others that he might not be able to leave as soon as they hoped. Considering the nature of the disturbance, he could not simply ignore it and entrust everything to the military unit.

"What the hell is that?" Billy asked, staring at the monitor with a deep frown.

Thomas glanced at him before shifting his gaze toward Erend. "There could be plenty of explanations, Lieutenant. Based on what we know, there are all kinds of things beyond our world, aren’t there?"

"Right." Erend nodded slightly. "We still don’t know what he is or what he wants. For now, all we can do is observe him and see how this develops."

Captain Adrien was already reaching for the microphone connected to Cody’s communicator. He pressed the button and spoke in a firm voice.

"Cody, can you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Cody answered through the speakers.

"Withdraw immediately. We’ve confirmed the likely cause of the disturbance, and there’s no reason for your team to remain in danger."

Cody’s response came after a brief pause. "I’m not sure we can retreat that easily, sir. That man looks... strong. And dangerous."

Adrien glanced toward Erend, who nodded, and then remained focused again on the monitor.

Although Cody and the mysterious man stood some distance from the nearest military facility, Erend was confident that he could reach them quickly if necessary.

"I know you can still retreat," Adrien insisted. "Don’t engage him too much unless you have no other choice. If you can’t get away, Lieutenant Erend will reach you soon."

"Understood, sir," Cody replied. "I’ll try to assess him a little before we withdraw. We can’t just go after all."

"Alrigth. Don’t be reckless," Adrien warned.

"Yes, sir."

The communication ended, leaving everyone in the control room watching the monitor in tense silence.

On the screen, the tall man began walking toward Cody and his team with an unhurried stride. He didn’t show any sign of rushing. His expression was still cold as he approached the soldiers who had been firing at his reptilian creature.

Erend narrowed his eyes. Something about the man’s face bothered him. Beneath the scowl and apparent hostility Erend thought he could see a trace of reluctance, as though the man did not particularly want to be there.

It was a subtle impression, difficult to distinguish from the limitations of the camera, but Erend could not shake the feeling that the stranger’s intentions were more complicated than they appeared.

He continued watching without saying anything, trying to understand.

—

Meanwhile, Cody kept his attention fixed on the approaching man. He took a slow breath and released it through his nose, forcing himself to remain calm despite the growing pressure he felt from the stranger’s presence.

The black-scaled creature was still nearby, but the man now seemed like the more immediate threat. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Cody could not determine if the stranger intended to attack them or just wanted to stop the fight, it made every second more difficult.

He shifted his stance slightly and addressed his teammates without taking his eyes off the approaching figure.

"We’ll engage him if we have to. Don’t panic. I’ll stay in front and keep his attention on me while the rest of you move around him. Watch his movements and don’t get too close unless you see an opening. Our objective right now is to escape."

The three soldiers exchanged brief glances. Their faces still filled with anxiety, but Cody’s steady voice gave them something to focus on.

They knew he would not abandon them, and that helped them regain enough composure.

"Understood," the male soldier answered.

The two women nodded and adjusted their positions, keeping their weapons ready while watching the stranger approach.

Cody tightened his grip on his pistol and gathered Magic around his body, prepared to defend himself if the man attacked.

He still hoped they could resolve the situation without a fight, but he would not allow his uncertainty to leave his team unprotected.

"Can you understand me?" Cody asked the man.

The tall man continued walking toward them, but didn’t answer. Then, without warning, he broke into a run.

Cody’s eyes widened. The man’s long black coat streamed behind him as he crossed the distance with startling speed, and his previously calm approach gave way to an unmistakably aggressive advance.

"Here he comes!" Cody shouted.

He immediately reinforced his Magic and braced himself for the incoming attack while the other three soldiers moved into position.

—