Toz focused on expanding the sheet of void metal while covering it in a thick layer of void magic that shielded the passengers from the Void. Since he was creating such a large magic construct and using so much mana at once, Toz burned through the mana potions like wildfire on a grassy plain during a drought.
But there were enough mana potions for an entire army, and it looked like it would be enough for Toz to make a large enough sheet to fit all the troops. And when he finished, he wouldn't have to expend as much mana as before. He would only have to maintain the sheet and the void magic to keep everyone safe.
However, there was one thing they had to do before that. They had to start moving. Since Toz was so busy creating the sheet and making it large enough to fit an entire army, he didn't have enough mental leeway or mana to move it around as well.
That was what Derada and Merr were for. Merr would keep the portal intact so that the troops could continue escaping the battlefield. And Derada would use enchantments to make the sheet self-propelling. However, the void metal wasn't easy to work with.
Derada couldn't get her enchantments to stick to the metal or make them work, but she didn't care and frenziedly continued trying different ways. But it seemed like she was more interested in the void metal itself rather than desperate to get the platform going.
But whether it was because she wanted to figure out the void metal or if it was because she wanted to get the platform to start moving, Derada eventually started to make her enchantments work. It was evident from her clicking tongue she wasn't satisfied yet, but Derada started applying the enchantments to the large sheet.
Derada stood up and pulled out something that looked like a head-sized piece of mechanical trinkets fused together. Derada injected her mana into it, and magic enchantments flew through the air from the device to the sheet. The enchantments integrated into the continuously expanding metal sheet. And after a little while, the large metal sheet began flying through the Void under Derada's control.
It moved so slowly that it was barely detectable and wouldn't be nearly enough to get away from the Blood Fiend. But with each enchantment Derada added, the sheet continued building speed.
Merr was prepared for it, and he managed to maintain the portal, despite the stream of troops and combatants straining the portal to its limits. Thankfully, Kahglia making sure that everyone paid what they were supposed to slowed down the passage of the troops and made it easier for both Merr and Toz.
Toz was beginning to feel sick from all of the mana potions he gulped down, but the thought of getting all of the grimoires he could ever read did make him want to endure it, and he continued expanding the sheet and the layer of void magic.
However, Toz couldn't help but worry that the Blood Fiend was going to catch up due to how slowly they were moving through the Void.
"If the blood clot is about to catch up, I'll dump everyone and flee with only the ones I want to take. Make sure the General knows that."
Toz spoke to Cooper so that he could relay the message to General Scoll. But he said it loud enough so that Derada, the one in charge of movement, knew what would happen if she didn't speed up. It didn't really look like she cared, but she still increased the output on her device so that it spat out more and more enchantments. It also seemed like the enchantments got more effective in working together with the void metal, but Toz was too absorbed in his creating of the metal sheet and maintaining the magic to really care about much else.
He didn't even care about the ruckus that someone tried to stir because of how slowly the troops were able to get through the portal because of Kahglia shaking down everyone to make them give up every last crumb of value. Since she had inadvertently lowered her share by trying to negotiate with Toz, she had to get as much as possible from the ones who passed through.
She wasn't necessarily poor, but she wasn't as spoiled as some believed she was, and she knew how to take advantage of an opportunity to get as much as possible.
The ordinary troops of the Alliance of Kingdoms' army were mostly soldiers recruited from the mortal realm, and they didn't have much on them in terms of valuables. At least not to the point where it would catch Kahglia's interest.
But the descendants and combatants of the various transcendent factions were like walking treasure troves.
Since transcendent bodyguards were forbidden from entering the battlefield, most of them stacked up on items and treasures that would increase their strength and survivability.
So, in addition to taking all the grimoires everyone handed over, Kahglia also made sure to fleece the rich of everything worth more than a gold coin. Of course, the value of a gold coin in the Mortal Realm. Some of Kahglia's targets barely left with the clothes they had on them.
But no one could really say no. If they were that stubborn, Kahglia could either send them back or just throw them off the sheet of void metal. There were a few transcendent faction combatants who had defensive treasures that would help them survive against the Void's pressure. But they didn't have any vessels capable of surpassing the transcendent Blood Fiend when it came to speed.
It was only inevitable that Kahglia's work would make other people upset. Naturally, people got overconfident after telling themselves that Kahglia was weak since she couldn't defeat the Blood Fiend. But they forgot none of them stood a chance against even the Flesh Golem, and the ruckus was quickly quelled by Kahglia before anything untoward happened with the portal.
But the sheet of void metal wasn't moving fast enough, and worry began spreading among the troops, both on the sheet and on the ground.
