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Hector considered his options for a while longer, eventually settling on the opinion that he didn’t really have any. He simply couldn’t risk using the Gate while an unknown distortion was still attached to him. He had to learn more about it.

And so, after armoring back up, lowering himself and Garovel back down the ground, Hector took his first real action in harnessing the power of the Gate. Slowly, hesitantly, with his Kag-holding hand also touching the Gate while his other hand maintained a grip on the Core, Hector informed both the Core and the Gate itself of his desire.

The fourth function. Connecting the spatial distortion. Completing the path.

Nothing was immediately different. No surge of feeling or power. No obvious changes in the environment or world around him.

Hmm. But if it was just the completion of a path, then perhaps he needed to harness the teleportation power now. To see if there was a new window available.

So he did. The giant tower of windows reappeared all around him, and at first, he worried that he might not be able to tell which, if any, was new. But that didn’t last long.

He soon saw the bright window to his immediate left. It was sizable enough to fit through, and the image inside it was clearer than any of the others that he’d seen. Most noticeably of all, however, there was a face inside it. A quite familiar one, no less.

Caster Egmond.


Chapter Three Hundred Sixteen: ‘The Keeper’s sight...’
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It wasn’t just a flat image of his face, either. It seemed to be a live feed of the guy as his head turned about, looking here and there, speaking. Until he apparently noticed the window there in front of him, and his eyes widened.

Hector required no further explanation. He knew immediately what his next move was going to be. With clear intent in his mind, he reached through the window, grabbed Caster by the high collar of his coat, and yanked the man through in one smooth motion.

Caster spilled out onto the ground like a pile of laundry.

Hector gave him some space to stand up. “Hello again,” he said from inside his helmet, trying and failing to prevent annoyance from coloring his tone.

Caster took his time climbing to his feet. “Well, well, well... I must say, that was quite the surprise.”

“Was it really?” said Hector. “Because it seems to me that... you’ve been keeping an eye on me this whole time. Spying, some might say.”

Caster just returned a flat stare.