Prologue: The World Named Erd

“We’re reaching the Erd’s synchronization limit. Do we continue?”

A whirlpool of silver mana filled the laboratory beneath the center of Laurent City. The culmination of thousands of years of other worlder summoning magic was being pushed to the limit in hopes of bringing an unprecedented amount of people over in preparation for their world’s murky future. All of Laurent’s work was for this single moment, the question of should they continue never crossed his mind. There was nothing on his mind but to continue.

“Continue.” Laurent said coldly to Daylon.

With the command Laurent released another torrent of his silver mana, dense enough to look like rivers of mercury. But even this was barely enough to satiate the spell’s requirements. Everyone within the summoning room could only watch as the rivers of silver were devoured into the spinning whirlpool. Mages assisting the spell encircled the center of the magic. Barely able to keep stable gritting their teeth they ignored the blood coming from their eyes and ears pressing on. Taking forward steps in practiced unison they condensed the enlarged whirlpool into a perfectly spherical reflective point the size of a head.

Daylon glanced worriedly at his colleagues. They were all under his administration in their guild. Watching them risking their lives with their legs struggling to stop themselves from shaking to keep the pressure high. A single misstep risks being turned into a red cloud of meat and blood from the recoil of the sphere.

As much as Daylon wanted to say something in their place he understood that there was no longer any stopping. He also understood that, while Laurent looked the calmest, Laurent was carrying over half the load himself. More if Daylon considered Laurent was keeping the massive figure of the spell focused at the front of his mind while managing its conjuration. Unlike the mages, if the spell recoiled not only would Laurent die too but as the caster his soul would be destroyed.

Turning his head Daylon continued to monitor the screens to occupy his concerns. Making sure that each controls and dial on the transfer subsystem was continuously synchronized as more data poured in from silver nucleus.

The sphere droned while they continued compress it as if Erd’s will was screaming out in protest. It shrieked in reverberations strong enough that their lungs felt as if they were on the brink of collapse.

—CRUNCH.

The droning disappeared filling the solemn laboratory in silence. The sphere had reached an equilibrium. The veneer of silver mana that was left liquefied itself off the material it was compressing turning into two rings at opposite angles around a pitch black point. They had finally reached a milestone. With a long awaited break Daylon and his mages calmed their nerves awaiting for the final act of summoning from Laurent.

Seeing the opportunity Daylon finally spoke the question on his mind.

“But why these people Laurent? Inhabitants of Earth? Teuricton’s people have a natural affinity for divination and magic in general and the effort to summon them would have been drastically less.”

Laurent took a moment he always liked to speak with complete clarity making sure to truly plan his words.

“I care not for their affinity with magic. What I need is an extreme quality of souls from the Earther’s naturally dense wills. They are people who have refined their existence with their own hands through sheer force, thriving in a world with no mana. Teuricton offers nothing of similarity.”

A world with no magic? The revelation struck Daylon. All of his favored heros that saved their world countless times whose biographic tales filled the shelves of his youth had come from a manaless world? He understood even less now how those legendary Earthers had gained world shaking magical prowess in their prime.

“T-the hero’s from Earth all really came from a world devoid of magic?”

“Yes.”

“Then, how? How did they become so powerful in their short time after their summoning to save us?”

“It’s always been their souls. Before our magic advanced enough for us to fight our world’s natural disasters Earthers were the perfect vessels for Scale's power. The only feasible beings that were able to handle our Goddess’ divine magic.”

In the past if they had summoned people from Teuricton, although easier to bring them, Erd’s primitive spells and magic from the past would have done nothing to save them.

“Then how did we control those strong enough to become true users of Divine Arts? Whose to say they will not turn arms against us?”

“They will have no other choice once they are here. The only moment when their entire being can be transported here is when their existence wavers from their own world.”

“And when is that?”

“The moment right before their death.”

Although cold, there was a necessary measure. Embedded into the physical and metaphysical bodies of summoned people is an instant spell able to send back them to the moment and place from which they were brought.

***