In the end. Once the fighting started, Sacronan didn't give much of resistance. This disapointed Kaden a bit. He had expected to enjoy some killing, fresh blood and meat. Instead they held back the attacking saints and then left. Of course he had known they would likely leave, but not before putting up a fight. It could barely even be called a fight.

"They knew we were coming around here", Kaden thought to himself as he went around the now abandoned site. There was nothing to be found. Sacronan had cleared everything. "They wanted to just harrass us."

Kaden frowned a bit as he wondered, if they would simply set up another spot and continue bombardment repeating same thing until the remnant? This time saints had more people around. It was unlikely, but possible. He decided to ignore the matter. He didn't have strength to influence what Sacronan was going to do.

As he wandered around he noticed Emina had survived. It was good. Kaden didn't want to later go find her corpse for the things elves must have given her.

"Everyone take a short rest!" Commands were shouted. "Patch your wounds. Maintain your gear. Rest. We will then continue directly towards the great remnant likely without any stops. It will be a long way and will test your endurance. Our other army has already made their way there and we must join them. The esteemed True Magi have opened path for us too."

Kaden wasted no time and found himself a spot just a bit out of sight and started eating. He charred whatever flesh he had picked up from the soldiers. This wasn't for cultivation, but merely enjoyment. It wasn't time to attempt advancing in middle of saint army.

While Kaden was having a taste, he noticed someone approach him. He turned to look. It was Emina.

"I see you surivived too", Kaden said to Emina. "Not that it should have been difficult. Sacronan is just messing around. They don't have enough troops here to actually stop us."

Emina didn't reply immediately. Instead she watched Kaden nibble on the burned flesh.

"Must you do that", She then said.

"Do what?" Kaden questioned.

"Eat... people", Emina clarified. "Are you a beast or a human?"

"Does it matter?" Kaden replied with yet another question.

"It does. One is 'natural' and the other makes you a cannibal", Emina pointed out.

"In other words, it doesn't matter", Kaden replied calmly. He didn't care what people thought about his behavior. "But I'm sure this isn't why you came to find me."

Emina frowned and stared at Kaden for a moment before she sat down nearby.

"I pondered whether I should even tell you this", she then told Kaden. "I happened to be able to hear a bit more about that so called 'prophecy' that church seem to be taking seriously. There is a reason for it, you know."

Kaden stopped chewing his food and then said: "And?"

"I wasn't able to hear all of its contents but part of it goes 'a beast wearing the mask of man must go in, but the beast must not come out'", Emina told Kaden.

"Cryptic and says really nothing, as usual", Kaden replied. "As I told you before. Some Archmagus was just high on something and spewed out some words that people took seriously. To begin with, this... prophecy speaks of beasts. I see no beasts around. No idea why they haven't been interested. Even after that boar, Ciner, was probably sent to retrieve whatever information Weils had found from that remant. That is unless beasts, or Cari, have made a spell that allows them to disguise as humans and are hiding around us which I seriously doubt."

Kaden tore out another mouthful of charred meat and started to chew on it.

"I wouldn't be concerned", Kaden said as he was eating.

"Do you know what a mirror is?" Emina asked. "Have you seen what you look like? Some overzealous priest might take notice. If they aren't fanatic enough to ignore the words of the prophecy and kill you right away, they might do so in the remnant. Just in case."

"I'm telling you, I don't think neither you or I should be concerned", Kaden insisted. "I haven't personally noticed anyone really paying extra attention on me. Despite my unusual appearance, I do note it when people do so whether it is due to digust, curiosity or someone spying on me, even if basically everyone does it." Then Kaden waved his hand towards all the other soldiers in the area. "If you haven't noticed, these people aren't expected to live. That includes us. Whether it is me or you or anyone here, all except the True Magi and perhaps the Condesation stage officers and perhaps their direct subordinates, are expected to die. I don't know if it is due to some drug addled visions of an Archmagus or simply that the great remnant is too dangerous. At any rate, I'm planning on living."

"I was also told by my superiors before I left for this mission an extra tidbit of information regarding the prophecy that they didn't tell me before, which is why I went around listening some more", Emina ignored Kaden's comment. "Did you know that there are historical records of the great remnant being one of the few places where a god's avatar descended upon the mortal world?"

Kaden stopped munching.

"A god descended here?" Kaden questioned.

"Considering the nature of the event, the records should be accurate even if they are ancient. At least thousands of years old, back in times where records are scarce", Emina said with a nod to confirm Kaden's question. "Which god it was is not known to me. It seems only the event is something that church didn't hide, but that god went inside the great remnant while it was not open. Then later came out and disapeared. The prophecy came to be soon after. I doubt it was created in clouded mind of an Archmagus that attempted to scry the future."

A god was involved?

"As you can see, the churches have since then taken this 'prophecy' very seriously despite it so far, as far as we know, not coming to pass", Emina continued. "As for what is supposed to happen, if it does come to pass at all, I know not. Perhaps that isn't even included in the prophecy or has been censored by the churches and perhaps only higher priesthood knows of it."

Kaden still felt it wasn't that great concern. He wasn't strong enough to be involved in some ancient prophecies. The churches should have always ensured no one who went in should live. That was some concern, if he planned on living afterwards.

Perhaps thats why beasts, or Cari, were not coming. Both human churches would in that particular situation work together to annihilate any beasts since they were mentioned in the prophecy.

"This could be a problem after all", Kaden thought.

He decided to stop eating and put on his mask that hides most of his features. It could be too late, if it was a problem, but there would be far more people and specifically church personel at the great remnant. It wasn't time to attract any extra attention. Even if he believed the prophecy had nothing to do with him, someone else might not. There are quite a few fanatics in the churches.

Emina snorted.

"Do you think that is going to help you in any way?" She asked Kaden with a slight mocking tone.

"This is as far as I will go with precautions", Kaden told her. "If you feel I will attract the wrath of churches, then stay away from me. We both have those codes. You may do your thing and I do mine, but our goals in the great remnant are roughly the same. Therefore we might as well work together for no one else will be an acceptable partner."

"Lets just say that I will choose what to do once we are coming out", Emina replied.

"I already had my plans for the time when I should come out", Kaden said. "I doubt the haughty True Magi are going to hang around for too long. This leaves whatever people will be left outside to wait until people start coming out. The great remnant and its enormous mana signature is going to make any tracking spells useless. Where to go remains to be seen. Perhaps even take a trip through No Man's Land."

Kaden didn't mind telling Emina his plans. In fact, going to No Man's Land was his last resort. If it did happen so that Emina became a liability, she could go explore No Man's Land, in attempt to find him, as far as he cared.

The great remant of Murika was in middle of a wasteland, ravaged over and over by mana storms. Any direction was an acceptable choice as long as it was away from the remnant by the time it closes and mana storms begin once more. It would be about as bad in any direction. The worst being north towards the nearby edge of No Man's Land.

It probably wasn't going to be that easy. The great remnant had opened many times in the past and church likely had experience in eliminating any 'problems'. Of course, Kaden had no idea how many people had ever managed to escape. None of that was likely recorded anywhere.

As for Emina. She was likely going to be useful. She knew things and possibly had things. But she would lose most of that usefulness by the time they come out. Situation would determine whether he would kill her or not. He still wanted to see, if she was carrying useful items the elves had given her. For the time being her usefulness exceeded Kaden's greed.

"So what are you planning to do when we get to the remnant?" Emina questioned Kaden.

"If you wish to come with me, try to stay nearby", Kaden replied.

"So no plans, fine", Emina answered. "Personally we should see, if we could find an actual information storage, a server. We have codes to get there. That would be the jackpot."

"Thats where True Magi will go on orders from the church", Kaden pointed out. "I'm more interested, if such things even exist anymore. The remnant has been open many times. Surely someone would have found it... or all of them, if there are multiple ones. If they are gone, I wonder what their next target is."

"Space inside is apparently fragmented. Some of which are separate remnants by themselves", Emina explained. "There is no telling what has and has not been found. Even if destroyed, they might simply just reapear in pristine state every time."

"Or anything else you can imagine", Kaden added. "There is nothing to be planned. No one can predict what is or can happen inside."

Emina clearly had more positive ideas. That she would succeed. Kaden expected the opposite. How to get most gains, if you considered the worst case and act on opportunity. Perhaps it was even good teaming. One to act quickly and one to plan for long term. Not that Kaden wouldn't plan long term, he just simply didn't consider it feasible.

Emina snorted, stood up and moved a bit further. She didn't wish to watch Kaden eat people, but she stayed close. It seemed to Kaden that she would come with him, if possible.

Kaden continued his meal, but this time he had some extra things to ponder that Emina had told him.

Damn gods, damn church and damn prophecies.