“Wait, you're telling me it's in the Waipoua forest?” Gavin said from the back of the jostling covered truck.

  “Yes, It's buried about thirty metres under Tane Mahuta.” Harding said.

  “We're pretty sure the tree is actually absorbing some of the magic as it siphons down into the tower.” Sarah Treberg, one of the scientists attached to the team said with barely contained excitement.

  “Oh, neat. Are there more towers around or is this just one of the ones we know about?” Gavin asked.

  “Don't answer that.” Harding said.

  “Rude.”

  “It's classified, and you need to demonstrate you are an asset we can work with instead of a liability before they'll let me tell you about any of that.”

  “How about this, stop the truck.” Gavin said, rapping three times on the cab.

  The convoy ground to a halt in the middle of the state highway, Gavin and his team jumping out onto the road while rubber neckers crept past.

  “Mind telling me what this is about?” Harding asked.

  “One moment caller.” Gavin said, looking sown the road to make sure no cars were coming.

  When he was satisfied he reached out and touched one truck, then the next one in line. Each vehicle vanished into his inventory, leaving their drivers suspended in mid air for a second before they fell to the ground. Sam and Val each checked on them and distributed minor healing potions for their sprains and strains.

  “Gavin.” Harding said with a tone as flinty as he had heard from the man.

  “Everyone in the portal.” Gavin said, opening a portal beside the third truck.

  “Explain yourself.”

  “Through the portal, questions later.”

  To his credit, Harding complied, ushering his soldiers and scientists through with quick efficiency. When everyone was through he looted the last truck and stepped through himself, finding the delegation and his team standing on a wooden walkway in front of a colossal tree.

  The air was thick with the smell of life and decay, heavy mist pressed in on them and brought a feeling of unease. It took Gavin a moment to realise what was tingling the back of his mind, there was a faint tingle of magic in the air being sucked down into the loamy earth below their feet.

  “Yeah, this is the spot.” Gavin said, sharing the moment with his friends as they noticed the change at the same time.

  “That was quite something.” said one of the scientists who had stopped to inspect the portal arch in the few seconds before it was dismissed.

  “Okay Harding, how do we get to the tower?”

  “We have an underground entrance back down the road, there's a tunnel that leads back here.”

  “Ugh, hold on.” Gavin said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

  He stepped off the boardwalk and deconstructed a cube of earth beneath his feet. He lowered himself down and repeated the process replacing the slug of earth above his head as he went. He'd gone a dozen metres down when he broke through a concrete wall into an open cavern.

  The space was surprisingly large, a four storey stone tower sat comfortably inside, illuminated from a myriad of harsh lights that covered the walls and ceiling around it. A handful of people in hazmat suits stood behind a desk looking at a laptop, that looked like it had been made before Gavin was born.

  He floated down behind them, looking over their shoulders at the screen of changing white numbers on a black background.

  “Whatcha reading lads?” He asked, craning further over their shoulders.

  The three of them jumped in unison, whipping around to face him, their reflective face masks hiding their expressions. From their general demeanour he could guess that they were ot enthused to have a civilian just appearing in their midst.

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  “Who are you and how did you get in here?” Came a grating Australian accent from inside the closest suit.

  “Oh, they didn't tell you about us coming today? Figures. My old boss never let anyone know I was coming either, made things a little awkward.”

  “That wasn't an answer.”

  “I noticed that too. The short version is I'm going inside there and after you guys get to see what's inside too, assuming we're not all dead.”

  “What?”

  “Have you never seen literally any movie ever where someone breaks into some ancient magical tomb or whatever and everyone dies until someone with plot armour goes in, realises it was a super dumb idea then seals the whole lot up so no one can ever use it again? Basically that, except I'm gonna try bypassing the first bit, and if it all goes wrong hopefully I can jump off the planet with my friends.”

  “Uhh-”

  “Anyway, portals off cooldown now, time to bring everyone down.”

  Gavins portal appeared, rising up through the floor and filling with light while the faceless scientists stood stunned and watched a dozen people pile through from nowhere.

  “Gavin you idiot, there was a family taking photos up there when you opened your portal.” Sam said in admonishment when she passed through.

  “What, how was I supposed to know? Didn't soldier boi cordon off the area?”

  “He was doing that but they just walked through the trees. And you could have just asked us if it was clear.”

  “Oh right, the telepathy thing. Anyway, we're here now, shall we get cracking?”

  “Lead the way.” Sam said, gesturing Gavin to go ahead.

  “Sounds good to me.” Gavin said, sauntering off towards the tower, “I'm so ready to put this lame earth arc behind us.”

  “This isn't a TV show, Gavin.” Judy called to his back as she followed a second later.

  “Obviously, they'd never greenlight discount charlies angels. There's barely any nudity, no one would watch it.”

  “Professional tone, remember?” Sam said through gritted teeth as she and Val positioned themselves to the flanks.

  As Gavin ascended the three short stairs to the front entrance he was surprised to find it opened easily for him, touching the door with a hand sent it swinging open feeling almost frictionless. He took a tentative step into the darkness, throwing up a hand full of glow globes ahead of them.

  Inside was nearly identical to the tower back in the other world, a large open area with a dozen giant golems standing ready around the room at attention with their swords pointed at the floor, hands resting on the pommels at their waists that were well above normal head height. Inky black darkness welled up behind their visors, giving them a menacing vibe.

  Gavin held World Claimer like a talasman out before him, he could feel the magic radiating off it and he hoped it would be enough to protect him. He felt Sam giving mental instructions to the team and gesturing for the soldiers to wait outside. The knights had taken a defensive posture at the entrance to the door, Judy’s portal already summoned just in case.

  Gavin walked out into the centre of the room. The last time he'd been in this situation the statues had animated by that point, and he felt his anxiety lower a little. He was ready to teleport at the first hint of movement, but nothing happened as he reached the stairs at the opposite end of the room.”

  “Don't know what you were- oh shit.” Gavin said, jumping out to the entrance as the statues animated as one, their movements clunky and sluggish.

  All twelve stumbled forwards, swords raised for the attack, but their coordination was worse than a wave of drunks stumbling out of a bar at three in the morning. Gavin dashed forward, ignoring Sam's hurried order to retreat. He slammed the sword through the first golem, dodging aside as it toppled over towards him. He hacked and slashed his way through the group, easily sidestepping their attacks that felt more like telegraphed dark souls monster attacks than something actually threatening.

  In moments the golems were little more than scrap scattered across the tiled floor, and he spent a minute looting their corpses, frowning at the distinct reduction in rewards between them and the last batch. He'd received a small pile of coins and two level four golem cores as well as some adamantium he couldn't yet use.

  Samania brought the rest of the team back with the soldiers and together they made their way through the chamber to the stairs, unlike the previous tower they explored there was no library, vault or garden, just a single floor above the entrance with an adamantium door. It wasn't locked when Gavin tried it, pushing his way in he found a wide open chamber with a ritual circle of inlaid silver in the middle of the floor.

  Investigating it he let his senses wash over it, feeling out the enchantment and ethereal magic that hummed within. Once he was done with his initial scan he knelt to touch it, digging into the back of his mind for more of his skill book knowledge that had been filtering into his consciousness like treacle over the past week.

  “This is linked to another portal, not sure where exactly, but I'm moderately certain it's on this world.”

  “Englaland” Judy said, pointing at the writing inscribed on the wall behind the ritual circle.

  “Oh, yeah, good call.” Gavin said, looking upat the sign.

  ‘So, are we going?’ Sam said through their mental link.

  ‘We sure are.’ Gavin said, stepping onto the plate.

  The team filed onto the circle and waited for Gavin to activate it. He let the magic of the sword flow through into the enchantment, feeling it surge with power. The runes activated, bathing the room in bright white light.

  “You guys got this from here.” Gavin said as they vanished from sight.