Coming up to the first ring, I was confused about their purpose and hadn’t asked Dani about them. The events before this had distracted me, but coming up to the ring, it had looked like just more plains.

Getting closer, I could see that was not the case, and there seemed to be a mirror-like surface that covered as far as I could see. I could see my own reflection on its surface as I came up out of the strange glowing teal rock ring.

Being so far away and the brightness of the day hand made it next to impossible to get a good look at the ring. I slow

Gold veins in the glowing rock pulsed rhythmically with yellow light, but the pattern seemed to change as I got closer. I had never seen anything like this before, and I was starting to wonder if this wasn’t like Noel’s Spatial Construction Magic.

“What do you think about this?” I asked out loud as I slowed down to a stop.

[Strange is hardly appropriate, and I really shouldn’t be the one acting like this, but this is a bit stranger than most of the things that we have found. I have no way to tell you anything about the barrier itself. Still, the rock is Libra Orichalcum, so be careful.]

“What is that supposed to be?” I asked as I started to walk again and got closer to the ring that turned out to be a rocky crystal surface.

The golden veins near me were starting to get brighter, and the pulses more erratic. It was like the rock could sense that I was getting closer, and that bothered it.

[Wait, that is alive, and I don’t know if you want to touch it. This must be part of what is controlling this place or one of the twelve Astral Orichalcum Rings that Grixaitalax is using to control it. Orichalcum is a powerful metal with natural and almost sentient magical properties. Astral Orichalcum Rings are alive and always in sets of twelve; they also should not be here.]

I stopped as I listened, examining the rock as Harold explained to me, but I could feel the rock pulling at me. There was a solid and proud aura pulsing off of it, but I resisted it; it was far too inviting.

“What do you mean that they shouldn’t be here?” I asked as I turned my back to the glowing stone and reflective wall.

Then something bumped my hip, and I turned around to see what it was, but nothing was there. I was sure that I had felt something, and I turned a full circle, but there was nothing anywhere but the wall and stone.

[There must be other things here that you can’t see because I felt that nudge as well. These rings are Mythical items that create controlled paradises. The more rings that you have together, the greater control you have over the environment.]

So this was how the crazy environment was created, and now some bug has control of it?” I asked and then spun around again as something brushed by me.

I tried to concentrate on the area that whatever touched me should be, and I didn’t see anything at first. Pressure started to build in my head as I thought I started to see the outline of something human-like but not.

Then I noticed something like flecks of tinsel in the air like I had held my breath, and I started to feel dizzy, and I stubbled. I looked away from the area, and the feeling stopped, but the feeling didn’t return when I looked back on the spot.

[Now that is strange; whatever you saw almost made you blackout. More strangeness, but no bug could have done this, not even a group of them. The problem is that they require a lot of power to control them and a conscious mind. No bug in this world could have done that, and even now, I would say you would struggle with maintaining even a single ring of the twelve.]

“So, what does that mean for us and moving forward?” I asked.

[That we should proceed with caution and not touch any of the rings. Since they are in use, the Astral Entities will conform you to the rings or try to. If that happens, you will have your mind blanketed over, and you will become part of the wielder’s power.]

“So I have to jump like thirty feet, and then I am good? What happens if I touch it? Am I immediately screwed? Or is there a way to fight the rings?” I asked as something brushed by me, but this time I ignored it.

[You can fight them, but we don’t know who or what is controlling them. Being in this small place doesn’t guarantee they are small, like a bug. For all, we know there could be a dragon controlling them or even a demon, which is unlikely, or they would be controlling the Demons. I don’t know anything about these rings other than what I have told you, but I do advise you to proceed with caution.]

This was turning out to be more of a pain in the dick than I had first anticipated, and I was kicking myself for this blunder. This was another diversion from what I was supposed to be really doing.

[Don’t, this is just as much if not more my fault for suggesting it, but neither of us could have seen this coming. Regardless of how we got into this, if we can get out, you will control the rings and have your ranch. The Astral Orichalcum Rings can be worn all by you when you are strong enough because of your ability to step inside of your own mind.]

“Wait a minute! What is up with this putting everything inside of me like I am some sort of Ark!” I growled.

[You and I are the only ones that will be traveling to the next world.]

{Dear readers, I am going through some mental problems rn, so I am sorry that the book is coming out so slow, will try to do better}