Mike didn’t say a thing, just stepped back and focused on the gateway in front.

  He was trying to discern what exactly he was looking at.

  What should I start with?

  Let’s not complicate things and first try just a singular element… let’s…

  -I guess… Lightning should be fine first…

  I didn’t even realize that I said it out loud and the fact that it was enough to form a spell from it.

  I guess I was more focused than I thought.

  But, even though, the lightning that I conjured and directed towards the blocked hole just… fizzled?

  -Wha…?

  -What just happened?

  We both were confused.

  -Did it just disappear…?

  -I mean… we saw it together - I said. - It formed correctly, right?

  -Yes - he nodded. - And then just… poof. Not there.

  -Let me try again…

  I did the same thing, with the same effect.

  But this time, we noticed something.

  -It didn’t vanish instantly… it just… passed through? - he said with disbelief.

  -Yeah… I saw that, too…

  -What’s up with this blockade… - he said, touching the, apparently, locked for us portal. - Does it block only biological material then…?

  -I am hardly that any more and yet… - I said, knocking at the portal. - It’s more like it lets magic pass…?

  -But in that case, wouldn’t you be able to go through? - he pointed out. - I can’t think of anything that is closer to pure mana than you are. Or, well, Origin Crystal I mean.

  -So… what, it blocks us in particular then? Don’t be stupid.

  -I don’t know, okay? It’s fucking strange…

  -Yeah… but at least we don’t need to worry about running out of mana.

  True. If we were right, it meant that Mike could just keep the portal open and we’d get mana from the other side supplied to us constantly. And the forest wouldn’t ever run out, I am pretty sure. Barring some calamity, that is. But the main sources of those were safely secured inside this white room…

  -Yeah… Okay. But still, I don’t intend to stay here forever - I said.

  -Well, me neither. But since we have mana, we can try something different, right?

  -How having mana changes things?

  -I don’t know! But at least we have more options.

  That didn’t change a thing to me, but I guess he thought differently?

  Besides, how much could he do while still keeping that portal open? Sure, it didn’t take much mana or concentration, but it was most likely still annoying. I never kept one open for long periods of time, so I wasn’t sure.

  He didn’t look concerned about that, though. Instead it seemed like he was trying something, conjuring small ball of mana in front of him and mumbling something under his breath.

  -Well, whatever you’re trying, go for it - I said. - I don’t really have any ideas… - I exclaimed truthfully.

  -Hm. Yeah, okay…

  He definitely seemed more absent-minded.

  Good.

  That meant he was thinking.

  Since I had not much to do about the portal, I decided to maybe do something with walls. It’s not like I had any way to help, or any ideas for that matter.

  It was harder than it sounds.

  Mostly because of the bright light constantly pouring into my eyes. If I was just using normal eyes, I am sure by now I’d been blinded.

  Speaking of, I was sort of worried about Mike. He did turn himself more human, right? How were his eyes?

  But, on the other hand, he wasn’t stupid. And, when I checked, he also had his eyes closed. Besides, he probably would be able to protect himself if he wanted to.

  So. About the walls…

  I did try damaging them, but of course that didn’t work. But, that reminded me of something.

  When we appeared and the first portal closed, it did sound like something breaking, right? What was that?

  If anything was here, it should be painfully obvious. But, there was no sign of anything.

  I suppose whatever broke was made of pure mana, so it could leave no trace.

  Whoever set that up was clever.

  Yeah. Who?

  The more I thought about the place, the more obvious it was getting. I mean, of course it was connected to the MIRE. We did follow their people here. Or at least attempted to. But having this kind of magic was definitely indicating that we had gotten deeper than we thought.

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  Or… was it magic?

  I sort of stopped thinking about it, but right now MIRE wasn’t only dealing with magic. It was also the technology that was a pain in the ass.

  I already learned the hard way that most of my conceptions about those two coexisting were straight up wrong. So, could this “cell” be something like that? A combination of magic and technology? I don’t know how that would make it that durable and block us from leaving, but why not? If that was just pure magic, I am sure I’d be able to bust through. Like I did many times.

  Damn. Over-relying on my ability to drain mana was right now biting me in the ass.

  -Okay. I think I have an idea… - said Mike, breaking me out of the trance.

  -Nothing stupid, I hope?

  He just gave me a look.

  -Listen. While I probably won’t need help, I’d rather have it.

  -I am all ears.

  But, before he managed to say anything, something happened.

  Suddenly, we heard a low hum. It was immediately followed by a clink and a rumbling noise, as the wall right in front of us had darkened and finally started looking more like a wall, not just a glowing surface, just to split in half.

  Just like a…

  -Door?

  In his surprise, Mike couldn’t contain his own voice. And that gave the men entering a good scare, because yes, we were getting some visitors.

  Or rather more like invaders.

  It was pretty clear where those men belonged to.

  MIRE.

  I didn’t have to say it, because the moment they noticed we were there, the door immediately started moving again, this time in an opposite direction.

  -Wait you s…

  I leaped forwards as fast as I could and immediately wanted to hasten myself using mana.

  This was a golden opportunity to get out of this box without much issue, so I wasn’t going to hold back.

  But, I was a bit too late.

  I did manage to slow time enough for me to not let the door close, but that was it. It was about to close, though. Those strange, sliding doors left maybe less than ten centimeters of room.

  I could try squeezing through, but it was not going to happen.

  Didn’t mean I was helpless.

  I jammed my hand in the middle of the closing doors and with all my strength I tried pushing it open.

  -You know that’s not going to work.

  It was Mike.

  Apparently, he was as fast as me on the trigger and was standing next to me, also sped up, looking through the remaining crack towards the darkness further in.

  -Instead of looking, give me a hand!

  -Like I am stronger than whatever the hell your body is.

  Well, he was right. There was no way his fleshy body, even enhanced by magic, would be any better for this purpose.

  -That’s why I keep telling you to change it.

  -Pff.

  -Instead of talking smack, give me some ideas. What’s even there…?

  I took a gaze toward where he was looking, but couldn’t see much. Just an empty corridor? Not even that, just a small airlock.

  I guess this really was some secure room.

  That is, that’s what I could see with regular sight.

  When I focused more, I actually could see what was behind the wall further in.

  Besides the group of people that we saw frontline entering the room, there were more of them waiting nearby.

  Was this some kind of military facility?

  -I am guessing that’s one of their outposts…? - said Mike, not convinced.

  -MIRE has outposts now?

  -I suppose - he said, shrugging. - What else do you call this? Bunch of armed people, magically equipped and with pretty advanced tech.

  -Advanced tech?

  -Isn’t that what this door is?

  I never actually looked properly, but he was right. The door was not just some stone, like I initially thought from the touch alone, but it had some metal within that had pieces of crystal embedded inside.

  A very familiar crystal.

  -I’d say it’s more magic, but I get it… - I agreed. - I guess that is why I have a hard time keeping it open.

  -I think the bigger problem is the time, isn’t it?

  -That too. But I am pretty sure I’d be able to at least push those doors open a little bit, yeah? That is, if they were just regular metal doors.

  -Maybe. Never tried - he shrugged.

  -Yeah, alright. So what, you’re telling me to undo the speed up and go “raw”, so to say?

  -You probably would be fine.

  -That’s besides the point.

  He sighed.

  -Yeah, but wait. The people further…

  -What, it’s not like we haven’t dealt with those guys before.

  -Yeah. But don’t you think something’s strange?

  -Strange?

  -They all are the same. I mean, in mana capacity.

  -So? Weren’t they before? And besides, you forgot about the janitor and that other guy? Weren’t they stronger?

  -Yeah. But that’s just it. Don’t you think people should be more… different?

  -What are you trying to get at?

  -I don’t know. But something’s not right.

  I shrugged. It’s not like it mattered to me, and not like it would make much difference. For one, it would be good for us if all the “grunts” so to speak were that weak. The only problem was their weapons.

  But it wouldn’t matter anyway if I just made myself fast again. The only question was, how fast would I be able to enter my hasted state. I mean, just now, I was able to do it almost instantly, but could I do it consecutively?

  Only one way to find out, though.

  -So, what do you want to do?

  -Release the hate, break the door and go back immediately after. We don’t know what is going to happen when we do that.

  -...

  -What?

  -That’s your plan? To make me do everything? And you what, you’re going to be waiting here or what?

  -Yes.

  I couldn’t believe my ears.

  He really wanted to believe me he was just going to be standing here, waiting?

  That being unbelievable aside, it’s going to be a long time. At least for him if he’s not going to drop his own haste.

  What the hell was he planning?

  But, it’s not like my idea was any different.

  To be honest, I was just about to do the same before he even told me to.

  So I wasn’t against it. But, even with that, it didn’t sit with me very well.

  -Eh. Fuck it. Okay.

  I sighed and prepared to wedge myself between the doors.

  -Let’s just hope this thing isn’t indestructible or something.

  -Like anything is.

  -Hm. Okay. Let’s go.

  I knew that wasn’t possible, but still was somewhat worried.

  But, in any case, I wasn’t going to delay any more and dropped my focus.