Another Stupid Isekai

With my belly full I shadow walked back to the spot in the wastelands where I dropped my anchor. It was quite close to Aaraam'soturi so I was hoping that I won't have to look for my friends for too long by doing that. I was right. I found them a few minutes later, digging through sand and looking under rocks.

- What the hell are you doing? - I asked, landing.

- There is a shit ton of crystals underground - Will stated.

- Yeah. We actually found a lot there - Hatta agreed.

- I guess it's possible. Those are probably what was left by Ixa, when she attacked the city - I pointed above myself.

- We think that they got buried because somebody was using earth magic - Nill said.

He was using earth magic, to slowly move the soil. Nobody actually had a shovel, so most of the people were using swords. Looking at those I immediately linked them to Will, as the design seemed familiar. Those who didn't could use either telekinetic powers, or, like Sanders, earth magic.

I noticed that Hailwic and Martin were working in separate places. Something that would never happen before. This definitely was due to their argument about the whole mission of sneaking in behind enemy lines and sealing the fruits.

- How much did you get? - I asked - They pointed at a pile of dirty gems laying on the ground not too far away.

- You could help, you lazy bastard - Will said to me. - You are probably better at this than we are.

- Well... I can try. Just... - I started.

- Move away? That's what you wanted to say? - Will asked, a little bit annoyed.

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

- I don't want to hurt you - I pointed out.

- Wow - said Nil with a massive smile on his face. - Do you have any idea about how much ego is gathered here? And you are telling us that you don't want to hurt us? That hurt more than anything you could do.

- I would argue about that - I told him, then started flying a little bit, to get a few meters above the ground.

Everybody else dropped the work and backed down. Then I put my 'Telekinesis' to use, with all the new upgrades. I grabbed the soil in the whole vicinity. The area probably as big, as a small, populated by around 40 thousand people, city. Enough for you to not be able to grasp the whole thing with just your eyes.

I easily could dig deeper, but there was no need for that. A few meters below was enough.

Then I lifted it all up, moving the loose sand, and letting the bigger stones fall down. It looked weird, like a lake of dark sand was swirling in a place, making some of it rain down, before I condensed the whole thing into a ball, and dumped it behind us on a massive pile.

Then I collected everything which fell down, from the surface of the ground, and brought it closer.

- Holy shit - Nil said.

- Yeah, impressive - Hatta agreed.

- I'll leave searching the pile to you - I told them while landing.

Nobuo, without a single word, started working. The little hill I built maybe wasn't as big ass the pile behind us, but it was substantial. Few meters tall, and mostly built of just rout regular rocks, but among those, were some crystals too.

More than I actually expected. It made me start to wonder really how many ghosts did Ixa kill in this place. Or maybe those crystals had even a longer story.

I stayed with the group, not really helping them, but I did hang around talking. I eventually found m way to Martin, who was moving around the biggest rocks.

- How is it going? - I asked him.

- You saw Hailwic and you saw me, so I guess that's why you came - he pointed out.

- Yes - I confessed. - It's because I've noticed you staying away from one another.

- She doesn't want me to go - he said, grabbing the closest, massive stone, and throwing it away like it was nothing. - But I have no other choice. There is no other choice for any of us. I was angry at you when you didn't tell us about what was going on in the background, but now I kinda wished you kept it from us.

- Yeah... Ignorance is a blessing - I agreed.

- But now I know, and I can't just sit idle. I have to help. Everybody has to help because that's the only option we have. We win or die trying. It's better than becoming a slave, or even worse, a mindless puppet - he told me.

- But Hailwic doesn't see it this way - I said, with a tone like I was guessing, but I was pretty sure that was the case.

- She is scared. We have a good thing between us. I'm happy, she is happy... - he said, but then went silent for a while, removing two more large stones. - She doesn't want to lose this. I don't want that too.

- If we win you will have all the time in the world to be happy - I told him, putting a smile on my face.

He stopped for a moment, mainly to look at me, then he nodded and returned to moving stones.

- Have you told Celestine? I noticed she wasn't really around - he changed the topic.

His words made me speechless. Telling my wife was something I very much didn't want to do. I was scared that she will insist on going with me, or even worse, my whole family will come up with the same idea.

I was silent for a while thinking about that, and Martin caught on to that.

- You should tell her. You might argue, but it's better if she knows. You either trust each other or not - he concluded.

I sighed, heavily. There was a lot of truth in his words.

- I'll tell her, just... Just not now.

- Do it before we leave for good. Trust me - he added.

This time I was the one who nodded without any additional words.