Zap! The Machine Fires a Massive Thunderbolt into Thin Air
Crackle! A tremendous thunderbolt shot from the machine, slamming into the empty air. And there, a red ring-like hole appeared.
"Success!"
With Setas's shout, he stopped injecting energy. Beyond the hole in the air stretched a landscape utterly different from ours.
"So this is a phase dimension?"
Everyone gathered around peered at the hole in wonder, craning their necks.
"This turned out better than expected. The portal should hold for about a week. What do you think of this genius's handiwork!"
Setas's shoulders puffed up with pride. From knowing him, I could tell he loved bragging. He went on about being in the top 0.001% of geniuses in his past life or having five PhDs, but it didn't really hit home for me.
But that wasn't what worried me.
The dwarves examined the scenery on the other side and shouted.
"That's right! That's our homeland."
One of them fearlessly leaped through the portal without hesitation. People gasped in surprise, but Setas calmed them down.
"It's fine. That's what we made it for, isn't it?"
Soon, all the dwarves crossed over and vanished from sight.
Were the dwarves just going home like that? What about my airship? Setas designed it, sure, but the dwarves were the ones crafting it. Some parts were beyond human hands to replicate.
I figured it was for the best—they were returning to their longed-for homeland—when murmurs rose from the other side, and countless non-humans began appearing.
"Look over there! Humans!"
"Amazing!"
Now we were the ones on display. It felt like being zoo animals. When Setas floated up briefly and retreated, the chaos intensified.
"Gah! A human flying in the sky!"
"The kid's flying!"
More non-humans crowded the other side. Dwarves were the loudest, but beastkin and even elves appeared too.
A bit later, the dwarves who had crossed pushed through the crowd and returned, bringing an elderly dwarf who looked ancient despite dwarves' nearsightedness making them seem old anyway.
"Greetings. I am Zendir, one of the dwarf elders. I hear you rescued our children. On behalf of the dwarves, I offer our thanks."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Viscount Saint Germain Akasha. It was simply the right thing to do."
I stepped forward as representative to greet Elder Zendir. The moment he crossed the portal, he scanned the surroundings intently.
"Where is this place? I wasn't aware of anywhere so barren."
He hadn't heard the full story yet. No time for that, really.
"This is the New Continent, which rose west of the Western Continent. It's my territory as well. But the only actual resident here is that pretty young lady over there."
I skipped mentioning the weird cave-dwelling new species.
Elder Zendir looked stunned.
"If so, would it be alright for us to migrate here?"
The dwarves were coming en masse? Of course it was great, but I kept a straight face.
"Naturally. The land's useless for now anyway."
"We can fix that. Our home was like this once too."
"But is migration necessary?"
"That requires a separate discussion."
Elder Zendir glanced around at the onlookers. Another secret, huh.
He said he needed to consult the other races' leaders and returned. I thought something might burst through when the door opened, but it stayed quiet. With six dwarves already slipping out, it wasn't a perfect barrier anyway.
Setas had said violent storms could rarely crack the phase dimension due to the energy.
We waited a long time, but Zendir didn't return. These long-lived races had a different sense of time than humans.
Tired of being a spectacle and bored of waiting, we headed back to the mansion to rest when murmurs grew, and various races crossed over.
"We held an emergency summit on the double to bring you here."
Ah, so that's what 'urgent' meant to them. We'd waited four hours, but whatever.
Among the newcomers was a figure strikingly human-like.
"Your Highness!"
He rushed toward Eltis, who was hiding in the shade from the sun. Purebloods could handle sunlight fine, apparently. That's how he crossed half the continent with a girl in tow to Akasha territory. He just hated the burning sensation.
"Uncle?"
Eltis ran to him, embracing tightly. A millennium reunion. Touching, but vampires don't cry, so it lacked emotional punch from afar.
Letting them have their moment, I got introductions from the rest: the beastkin chieftain, elf elder, and dwarf grand elder.
I led them into the mansion, soon to be an aerial fortress, and we talked.
When I spoke Elvish first, the elf elder was shocked. Hearing about the elves left here, thriving near the World Tree, brought tears—not for kin, but the tree itself. Non-humans had emotions beyond human grasp. Even humans fought endlessly from misunderstanding each other; different races were bound to be harder.
I spoke with the beastkin and dwarf grand chieftains too. Eltis's uncle entered the meeting late, but Eltis was the representative as royalty.
Anyway, all agreed on migration. I asked why leave prosperity for this wasteland.
"Is there a special reason to return?"
"We crossed partly due to human persecution, but it wasn't entirely our choice—nor forced. And living there isn't free; we pay a price."
God-related, as expected. Some tribute.
"Dwarves offer their twelve finest yearly products. Inferior quality means the grand chieftain suffers divine punishment—burned alive in agony."
"We beastkin sacrifice our strongest warrior annually."
"Elves must fertile a quota of land yearly and offer products."
"Vampires give blood."
Each race chimed in. Improving barren land involved elves, it seemed. This god charged steep rent, even human sacrifices. Like Kutula. Not fully benevolent like Bastet.
"But if you abandon that place, won't the god intervene?"
Silence fell. No certainty.
"We can't live like this forever!"
The beastkin chieftain slammed the table, rising with imposing wolf-hybrid build and presence. But he wasn't that strong—around Jayke's level or below. Annual sacrifices explained it. Plenty of resentment there.
"Same for us."
Dwarves too—their grand chieftain had died multiple times to punishment.
"We will migrate here. Reuniting with the World Tree is a dream."
Elves were lost in reverie. Eltis went without saying—he'd never cross.
"The hole stays open a week. Decide before then."
But the representatives seemed decided already.
They crossed back, leaving us to eat and sip tea.
"Will it be okay? Surely the phase dimension's owner will interfere."
Howard slurped his hot tea like cold water and shook his head at my concern.
"If so, wouldn't they have acted when the hole opened?"
Made sense, for Howard.
"Outer god avatars have power limits. With the phase dimension open, they can't use much force. Cross the line, and the main god intervenes."
Setas's words perked my ears.
"If limited, can we handle it with just us?"
"No. You're all top-tier here, but not enough for a god's avatar."
Hope dashed. Rely on Juno again? Who knew the price. Nothing left to give anyway. Two debts now?
Next day, migration began with vampires—few of them. Elves followed, then beastkin numbering nearly four thousand. Dwarves lagged, citing equipment to fetch.
Housing for migrants became the issue. Transporting materials for seven thousand was no small task, even if doable. Sourcing them immediately was the problem.
Setas solved it casually while I pondered.
"Sand and lime everywhere—what's to worry?"
He demoed adobe from sand and shell powder, teaching the six early dwarves. Dwarves excelled at building once taught. Tents for now, houses soon.
Beastkin slept fine on sand—preferred it, even. But not everyone could use adobe. Elves needed special stuff, probably from Great Forest villages. I'd deliver news anyway.
On the week's last day, the final dwarf crossed, all non-humans now in the New Continent.
They celebrated their new home with a festival. The once-quiet land buzzed. Beastkin howled skyward, dwarves partied with booze, even elves played music and sang.
It dragged on. Left alone, days probably.
Meanwhile, the hole shrank and sealed.
Watching from afar, I spotted a portly old man with a grand ornate staff, face icy cold, standing where it closed.
Damn, knew it.