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283. Reclamation Process
Year 273
The Emperor had aged, when I sent Lumoof to see him. The Holy Emperor¡¯s hair had turned white, even though his power and class should have kept him a lot more youthful. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last met, Emperor Erranuel. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡±
¡°As well as I could be.¡± He waved his hand. His aides and guards left the room. There really was no point to have them here.
¡°Really?¡± Lumoof nodded, and decided to joke. It was inappropriate, but no one dared correct him. ¡°Your hair seems whiter.¡±
¡°Age and the weight of managing an empire, Lord Lumoof. In time my hair will soon fall off.¡± The Emperor relaxed.
¡°It¡¯s certainly too soon for hair to start falling off.¡± Lumoof countered. The Emperor wasn¡¯t that old, was he? He was perhaps eighty, or ninety. He ascended to his Imperial Throne around forty years ago.
He laughed. ¡°If I lived a leisurely life without worries, I¡¯m fairly certain my hair would still be beautifully golden. But alas, I struggle to understand how an empire actually manages to stick together, with all the bickering nobles and lords.¡±
Lumoof chuckled, and sat on a chair next to him. A tea set was already prepared. The Emperor was more of a coffee person, a relic of the earlier parasite years, but diplomatic channels had data on Lumoof, and indicated he was a tea person. ¡°Would you like me to find some ointments and potions for your hair, then? It should be a fairly easy issue to solve.¡±
The Emperor smiled at Lumoof¡¯s offer. ¡°That would not be necessary, my whitened hair is quite useful. It¡¯s a good reminder to my nobles that I am an aging man. My mortality helps bring out the schemers amongst the ducal families, and misleads them into thinking that I am a frail, weakened man.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Lumoof laughed. To feign weakness when one is strong, and lure out the schemers is a common tactic. Somehow nobles still fall for it. Their greed and desire for power often overwhelms the warning signs.
¡°So, are you here to just taste my tea?¡±
¡°Nothing like that. We met Hawa. Twice, actually.¡±
Emperor Erranuel sagged. ¡°I heard rumors from my informants. It felt so implausible that I¡¯m certain it¡¯s an intentional leak.¡±
¡°It is.¡± Lumoof chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good to see how news travels. It helps us know who¡¯s talking to who.¡±
Erranuel looked in the distance. All of us play the game. His throne room was necessarily grand, the act of being invited to this room was a spectacle, a ceremony. Something for mere mortals to remember. But to the Holy Emperor, this is no more than a ritual meant to enhance his mysticism.
The priests said the regular citizens must be reminded that they stand before the representative of god. A Holy Emperor.
So the throne room was filled with enchantment. For regular soldiers and citizens, they would feel a tremendous weight as they entered. A set of spells and items, meant to enhance the Holy Emperor¡¯s presence.
It was exhausting, and Lumoof could see it. He had a role to play, as a symbol of sorts for his Empire.
His powers as an Emperor were strong. It is for this reason his lesser nobles have not tried to assassinate him. The empire would collapse without his presence, and lesser nobles were not prepared to deal with the aftermath and power vacuum.
He was not the only Holy Emperor, and the relationship with the other Holy Empires were cordial at best, and outright hostile in less pleasant times. Not just that, the threat of the guilds still remained in the background. Though the era of merchant warfare was mostly over, there were still small skirmishes and battles. Little reminders that there are greedy guilds waiting to pounce.
So the nobles, despite their greed, dared not shatter the Emperor¡¯s presence that supported their empire¡¯s strength. His skills, and his blessings, endowed his people with strength. It is a country-wide blessing, and worked in some ways, similar to those of my own priests and trees. Harvests are bountiful, mines are more productive, people are healthier, and levels increase a little bit faster.
Erranuel sipped the tea. He wasn¡¯t a big fan, and Lumoof could tell. ¡°Would you like to visit the world where we met Hawa?¡±
¡°Yes. Though I suppose my nobles will curse my absence. My blessings fade over time. But I want to go. To see the God I claim to represent.¡±
We¡¯ve known this since the Emperor¡¯s visit to the Lavaworld, and later on, a week-long tour through the Threeworlds and Mountainworld. The other Emperors were not so keen on visiting, they bought their church¡¯s propaganda to a stronger degree than we ever did.
A missing King is therefore bad for the country, even if the effects are not felt immediately. That said, there are [assassin], [spy] and [conspirator] abilities that could mess with a King¡¯s abilities. It is often said that it is better for a King to die in battle, than to die assassinated in his sleep, because the [assassin] class passively erodes the King¡¯s country-wide blessing, while an honorable death in battle is often rewarded by some other form of blessings.
Lumoof thought about showing the divine item, but we decided we would keep it. Not now. We didn¡¯t want to ruin his first experience of divinity.
¡°I will make the arrangements and let you know.¡±
¡°Do you not fear your long absence?¡± Erranuel asked abruptly.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Lumoof paused. The tea was perfectly warm. The cup was some kind of enchanted cup, that emitted a soft, gentle heat that kept the tea warm.
¡°You travel to other worlds, on long missions. Do you not fear for the safety of your homes when you are away?¡±
Lumoof found the question amusing. ¡°Why? I trust my fellow warriors to keep things safe.¡±
Erranuel sighed. ¡°I admire that. I can¡¯t trust my nobles, well, except two, but they have their plates full keeping the empire together. It would¡¯ve been easier if we had a structure that¡¯s so immensely loyal.¡±
¡°It¡¯s something you must build, Emperor.¡± Lumoof advised. ¡°This structure was constructed over centuries, layers by layers, built on the backs of many veterans.¡±
¡°Only for it to collapse when I die.¡±
¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± Lumoof smiled.
Emperor Erranuel stared at Lumoof as if it was the most ridiculous thing ever. After a while he laughed. ¡°I sometimes forget I¡¯m speaking with an avatar.¡±
¡°You just need to gain levels. There are worlds out there where you can gain levels.¡±
Erranuel paused and looked at Lumoof. ¡°Are you suggesting I expand the Empire to other worlds?¡±
For others it is as close to impossible. The Valtrian Order has complete monopoly over void mages. Void mages is a class that dabbles in the void mana, and for younger void mages in training, accidental void mana corruption and curses still occur somewhat regularly, and so most void mages still need to get ¡®treated¡¯ for curses. Even void archmages experience mishaps, though their souls are so well attuned to void mana that the mishaps are usually minor.
So, a senior level void archmage wouldn¡¯t even think of working for others, due to the sheer gap in resources. Perhaps the Angels could entice some of my void archmages, but we keep a thorough inventory of who and where each of my void mages are. Well, except those that vanished into the void during the Demon¡¯s Comet.
My avatar looked at Erranuel, and knew that deploying him on other worlds would be a good way to use his talents. His talents were stagnant here. His powers were used to fight and resist my influence. Here, we were competitors, even if it isn¡¯t much of a competition. I would prefer to have his abilities used against the demons or other forces in the peripheral worlds.
It¡¯d be a good time to also use my [anointed king] class, and see its¡¯ effects on the peripheral worlds.
So Lumoof doubled down. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d be happy to facilitate your move, and even provide you with a suitable protective force. We will help get your new Empire in the faraway worlds up and running.¡±
Erranuel stared at Lumoof as if it was totally ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re asking an Emperor to leave his Empire, and start a new one somewhere else in what¡¯s likely to be a war-torn, demon infested world.¡±
Lumoof grinned. ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s exciting, don¡¯t you think so?¡±
Erranuel closed his eyes. It felt like minutes.
His lips curled into a mischievous grin.
¡°Well, can¡¯t say I¡¯m not swayed. When do we start? And I¡¯d like to see the look on my nobles when I¡¯m appointing an Imperial Regent.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have scribes, painters and mages for the moment.¡± Lumoof laughed.
***
All of them were in full suits of armor, as they prepared for the rift gate. It was a small group, only about six of them, mainly just to protect Stella as we made the journey to the peripheral worlds. Stella, Edna, Ezar, a druid warhealer, a ranger, and an elemental mage.
The peripheral worlds required six hops, mostly through Hawa¡¯s regional worlds. It was likely to be safe, since these were Hawa controlled worlds, but Edna was with her, just in case.
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We were not allowed to linger, and though it was a bit of a pity, I understood Hawa¡¯s reasoning, and accepted it.
So, the goal was to keep moving until we reached one of the peripheral worlds, and because the peripheral worlds were all relatively close to each other, I would then deploy either a clone or a node tree. From there, we¡¯d use that clone and node tree as the ¡®base¡¯ to make further travel, skipping the Hawa¡¯s outer worlds entirely.
These peripheral worlds were pretty much a cluster of unloved worlds. Worlds too far from the gods, not that far they are out of reach, but far enough that it wasn¡¯t sustainable. Still, the pact forced them to protect it.
¡°Well, let¡¯s start hopping.¡±
The first Hawa world was similar to Satrya, the presence of divine energies was strong. Just as we arrived we could feel the strands of divine energy trying to exert itself over us. This was another Outer Core World.
But the five worlds after the first world only had a faint, divine presence. There were no ¡®laws¡¯ like the Outer Core Worlds, and per the data shared by Hawa, these were the Regional Worlds of Hawa.
Then, we were finally at the frontier of Hawa¡¯s power bubble. The peripheral worlds.
***
The First Peripheral World - Landas
Stella landed first, and we were immediately assaulted by the presence of demons. The astral space of the peripheral world glowed with the demon king¡¯s path, and when we looked to the skies, we saw were filled with flying demons.
¡°The welcoming party is here.¡± Stella quipped as the rest of the six arrived. Edna was just a short few seconds behind her.
¡°Exactly what I was expecting, though.¡± Edna smiled. The flying demons were not that powerful. Perhaps about level 30. She could take them on single handedly. ¡°Node tree?¡±
¡°Too early.¡± Stella¡¯s senses fanned out, and Edna¡¯s own magical senses followed. ¡°Divine presence here is minimal. Comparable to Treehome and Mountainworld.¡±
Of the first three worlds, I would rank Threeworld¡¯s divine presence to be a little bit stronger. There is a pact of sorts that governs the three hegemons, and there must have been three gods that agreed to it, a long long time ago. Their presence may have faded due to the distance, but the pact sustains a certain level of divine presence in the world.
Edna looked at the demons, and activated a small defensive, illusionary object. It immediately masked her presence. The rest of the crew followed.
The first peripheral world seemed fairly war torn, the terrain around us was charred. There were burnt trees and burnt rocks. Corpses that had long rotten.
Bodies.
One of the Valthorns, a Level 140 [Warhealer], squatted down and examined the bones.
¡°Elven, or at least some kind of elven variant. Dead for at least four years. But these burn marks look younger.¡±
Stella glanced at Edna, and back. ¡°Well, I suppose there should be some surviving civilizations here. Let¡¯s go look for them.¡±
One of the Valthorns immediately wondered. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll be like the Ularans. Cowered and hiding in their tunnels.¡±
The void mage nodded, but one of the [rangers] began using his scouting abilities. ¡°There seems to be some kind of habited location further away. I detect new smoke and the faint smell of cooked food in that direction.¡±
Stella nodded. ¡°Distance?¡±
The ranger immediately shared the distance, coordinates, and Stella opened a magical portal. The group stepped through, their presence hidden by their illusion items, and on the other side was a fortress that was under attack.
They were hidden.
There was a group of flying demons above them, about two hundred demons and a single demonic champion among them. They attacked the fortress, but for now, their progress was hindered by a decently powerful protective barrier.
¡°Well.¡± Edna looked at her fellow teammates. ¡°There are living people on the other side, and we have demons attacking it. What is there to do but stop it?¡±
The army of flying demons wasn¡¯t very strong, and so Ezar stood. ¡°Let me.¡±
He stretched, twisted briefly. Then, his fists glowed, and he began to punch the flying demons with his energy punches.
***
Native POV - Novorosk
Landas was not always a world infested with demons. But for survivors, like Novorosk, that sort of history didn¡¯t matter. They fought the demons for decades, and a life of fighting demons was the only one they knew.
Ancient history claimed there was a time when the five different elven tribes, the blood elves, the high elves, the night elves, the white elves and the riverine elves, all had multiple empires, all incredibly powerful. It was a time when the five tribes fought each other for supremacy.
It was ancient, and a dream told from the great matriarchs and lorekeepers to the young.
There were demons, back then. But each of the five empires would have [heroes]. Elven champions, each of them, and they would fight the demons and destroy them. No lorekeeper remembered when, but there was a time, a few thousand years ago, or perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago, the [heroes] began to dwindle.
For five, to four.
Some elves believed that this was divine punishment. The five sub-races, all those elven empires were all reckless. The demon¡¯s supremacy and the loss of the heroes was due to the other empire¡¯s foul behavior. It was an era where elves, already hostile to each other, blamed each other, instead of banding together as one. After all, it was the other empire and elves'' fault that the gods abandoned them.
The era of war came, and just as the wars between the elven tribes intensified, the heroes vanished.
Four, to three.
No matter what the elven tribes did. They fought. They made sacrifices to the gods. They offered worship and prayers.
But it was all for naught. The world of Landas drifted further away, unknown to them all. Their gods, faraway and silent, did nothing to tell them of the truth. It costs them too much to even send a message. The Gods were stretched, and limited faith points were used to support more worlds. The gods supported thousands of worlds each, but to each of these worlds, they know only a single one.
Their own.
Then three heroes became just two.
The demons¡¯ presence in the world of Landas became almost permanent. Somewhere along the way, the demons established a foothold in the world of Landas. They claim the vast sands as their home. A land hostile to the elven tribes, and what was once a vast ocean of sands became twisted by the demonic energies that took root.
It transformed the sand oceans into the Landasian demonlands. The demon lands spawned demons forever, and what was once-in-a-decade incident became a never ending nightmare.
Then two heroes became only one.
The world of Landas only received a single hero.
A single hero to hold off against the powerful demons. A single hero who couldn¡¯t be strong enough to kill the demon king and live to tell the tale. A single hero that didn¡¯t benefit from the blessings of the [hero shards]. Because there were no other heroes to give him that shard.
And it felt like the gods took forever before they sent a hero. The world of Landas was now in an eternal war against the demons.
It¡¯s been many many years since then
The old feuds for the elves gradually faded away, as their inter-tribal enemies paled before their existential threats.
Novorosk prepared for battle. Their home, the Fortress of Roskor, was protected by old magics. There were relics left from the earlier era that still gave their Fortress City its shields and protections.
Their people were ready to die.
Novorosk, the leader of the defenders, prepared his bow, his spear, his harpoons. The flying demons were difficult enemies. He could kill a few single handedly, but there were hundreds in the skies above.
It was hard to talk, each time the claws and fangs of the flying demons slammed into the magical shield, there was a loud humming sound.
A life of war meant Novorosk was already level 80. Many in his squad were level 60 to 80, and each of them could kill multiple flying demons. In full strength, this army of demons would not have been a problem for them.
But the demons were relentless. They had flying armies by the tens of thousands, and this was the sixth attack in the last week. His men were all injured, wounded by a thousand tiny cuts, poisoned by tiny droplets in each strike.
Even Novorosk himself felt the demon¡¯s foul poison in his left thigh. There was a blackened stain that was slowly fading. It would heal in a few days, but the demons didn¡¯t give him the time.
He¡¯d have to fight without his full mobility.
Novorosk, blood elven warleader, watched as a healer tried to soften the effects of the poison. The healers tried to patch up the defenders, as much as they could, but none of them will be at their best today. The shamans drew blood-colored lines, enchantments, on their skin.
The leader of the demonic army was a flying demon with a large battleaxe. The blood elves referred to it as the Axe Leader.
Novorosk beat it before. He killed three of them in the last year alone. But he wasn¡¯t sure he could do it with the poison in his leg.
He cursed. ¡°Aturk. You¡¯ll need to support me.¡±
Aturk, his third-in-command, looked at what Novorosk was looking at and frowned. His face was one of fear. But he wasn¡¯t going to let his leader down. ¡°Yes, Warleader.¡±
Aturk was level 65, and in better times, he would¡¯ve been a good warleader.
The shield wobbled. Novorosk waved his hand, and signaled for the squad to be ready. There were about seventy warriors in his detachment, and another thirty would be supporting from the back.
If they could take down the Axe Leader, they should win this. It would be at great cost, and Novorosk himself may not survive it. But the Fortress of Roskor would live another day.
¡°-Warleader Novorosk! There are civilians outside of the fortress!¡±
Novorosk stared at the shouting scout, absolutely baffled. He tried to run, but his poisoned leg made it painful. The shaman¡¯s pain suppressing lines glowed, and suppressed the pain. But it still hurt.
There was a group of six adults, and from a distance, Novorosk thought they looked like the white elves of the snowlands.
¡°Where did they come from?¡± Novorosk shouted. ¡°Didn¡¯t our magical detectors spot them?¡±
THe scout looked embarrassed. ¡°No, warleader. We did not notice them at all.¡±
¡°Is our equipment faulty? Who¡¯s in charge of maintenance?¡± Novorosk frowned.
The scout shook his head. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be-¡±
¡°Something is wrong-¡±
The second in command walked to the scouting tower. The shields continued to wobble. It likely won¡¯t hold for long. ¡°Warleader, let¡¯s deal with the civilians later. The defenders are ready. At your command.¡±
Novorosk sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Civilians who take such risks will have to be responsible for it.¡±
The blood elven warleader surveyed the fortress walls. His men were all in position. They were all deathly afraid, but they would not let it affect the fight. Novorosk looked at the second-in-command. He would be in charge if Novorosk fell in battle.
He¡¯s a good man, and Roskor would be in good hands. Novorosk tapped the shoulders of the deputy warleader. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±
The deputy shook his head, he was armed to the teeth. ¡°We¡¯ll cover you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± Novorosk countered, and then stood on the battlements. ¡°Get ready! Supporting fire-¡±
But they all felt it then. A sudden surge of power that wasn¡¯t demonic. A pressure so intense that Novorosk felt the blood in his face drain away.
¡°-what-¡±
They heard sounds. It sounded like a really loud punch. A single ¡®swish¡¯, and a ¡®splat¡¯. In the constant humming from the magical shields, and in the noise of demonic fangs and claws rattlings and attacking, they didn¡¯t know why the punch sounded so loud.
It was as if the only sound that mattered, and all the other sounds were somehow silenced in its presence.
The demons exploded.
They watched the flying demons felt in the skies above. The Axe Leader of the demons turned, as if looking for its enemies.
But it too, splattered into smithereens.
Novorosk watched as the strongest of the demonic flying horde turned into mush.
The demons were all gone, their bodies splattered all outside of the ground. The deputy turned to face Warleader Novorosk, unable to understand the changing tides. ¡°Warleader, what just happened?¡±
284. Greenfield Expansion
Chapter 284
Year 273 (part 2) -
Landas, The Peripheral Worlds I
Novorosk
The six strangers were foreign. Everything about them was foreign. Visitors from beyond the stars. Their weapons were made of wood Novorosk did not recognise, the carvings on their armor and the texture of their steel unknown to them. The way their magic seemed like an endlessly deep lake made the entire army tense up.
Everyone knew they were different. The way their ears looked. The scent of their hair.
¡°Hello.¡± The woman in armor said first. ¡°I¡¯m Edna, and these are my fellow warriors. We are the envoys of Aeon, and we¡¯ve come to help. ¡±
Novorosk looked at the rest of his team. Traditionally, communication would be made in the receiving rooms of the elven cities, but most of the receiving rooms have been repurposed. As accommodation, as a warehouse, as a place for healers. Novorosk cursed and immediately whispered to his second-in-command. ¡°Do we still have a receiving room?¡±
The second-in-command shook his head, he naturally paled at the question. ¡°No, warleader.¡±
¡°Quickly, get some men and go clean one of the rooms up. I¡¯ll hold them here. Move quickly.¡±
The second-in-command nodded, and ran for it. He hauled at least ten of his soldiers. Novorosk hobbled closer. ¡°My apologies, visitor Edna. I am Novorosk, Warleader of Roskor, I will have my warriors prepare a receiving room. May we know what you need from us?¡±
The visitor Edna paused, and looked around. The Fortress of Roskor was battered, its¡¯ shields weakened from the assault. There were about two thousand elves living in this place, about half of them working the farms within the fortress walls, there were about a quarter that looked to be children, and a smaller group, about two hundred or so that looked to be much older.
Their farms were unique, the plants and vegetables were on stacked platforms. Novorosk¡¯s eyes noticed how the visitors seemed to look at the stacked platforms.
Did they want food? Novorosk quickly did mental calculations. Their druid-farmers produced enough food, but their supply would normally be enough for a week. If they asked for too much, they wouldn¡¯t have enough-
Edna turned to another woman with jet black hair and a scent of the night. Novorosk wondered whether she was a night elf, but she didn¡¯t share any of their features. ¡°You¡¯ve seen something like this, Stella?¡±
The woman nodded. ¡°It reminds me of vertical farms back on earth. It¡¯s interesting that they resorted to this, because of land constraints.¡±
Novorosk immediately cut in. ¡°Visitors, our food condition isn¡¯t great, but once the receiving room is ready we can arrange for some food-¡±
Novorosk felt the visitor Edna¡¯s stare, as if she was judging him. She answered. ¡°Very well, Warleader Novorosk.¡±
***
The receiving room was ready, it was hastily cleaned, and still had the faint scent of dried blood in some of the old, ancient carpets. Novorosk wished they kept a single receiving room proper, but centuries of war meant all space had to be reused.
The six didn¡¯t seem hostile, but the way they looked at things was intense, and made the entire force feel tense.
¡°Are you the ultimate leader of this Fortress?¡± Edna asked.
Warleader Novorosk shook his head, as the second-in-command brought three old elves to the receiving room. Each of the three wore a set of robes that looked like they were never worn in hundreds of years. The dust on the robes were hastily cleaned.
Novorosk nodded, as he bowed. He struggled to remember the words, ¡°Presenting the Elder Council of Roskor, Elder Ruzus, Elder Muzur and Elder Noroskor.¡±
The three elders nodded, the elder in the center, an old man, took the lead. ¡°Greetings, visitors. I am Elder Muzur, and welcome to Roskor. It- it¡¯s been ages since we used the Receiving Rooms, so we apologise for the poor condition.¡±
Edna looked around, and Novorosk wondered what she¡¯ll say. But she shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve seen worse. So, we are new to this world, so we want to know everything. Do you have a map?¡±
Novorosk thought he misheard that. What did she mean by ¡®new-to-this-world¡¯?
But the elders were more composed. ¡°Bring the latest maps. All of them.¡±
Two of the elven crafters that doubled as assistants hurried out. The Fortress of Roskor had few administrative workers left, most of their populace were warriors and the military supporters like shamans and druids, farmers, healers or crafters.
The maps they brought were old and stained, but they depicted a set of cities and ¡®areas¡¯ that were still occupied by elves.
The six stared at it intently, then one of them took out a large piece of paper. At first, Novorosk thought he¡¯d start to make a copy. But he didn¡¯t take out a pen.
¡°[Map Replication].¡±
The map was then immediately copied over to the paper. The elders stared, unable to believe the spell that just happened. Novorosk paused, and didn¡¯t know there was such a spell.
¡°Alright.¡± The woman, Edna, said. ¡°Thanks for that. Of these cities, how many survive?¡±
The elders looked at each other. It¡¯s been months since they received letters from the other towns. Novorosk watched as the elder pointed to a set of neighboring cities, and then a set of outer cities. ¡°We spoke to some of these neighboring cities about four to five months ago. We have not communicated with these other cities in the last few years.¡±
Edna, the woman, looked at one of her team. Novorosk wondered whether they are the woman¡¯s subordinates, because they seemed deferential.
¡°What do you know about the greater world?¡±
There wasn¡¯t much to share. Roskor¡¯s focus has been to survive day by day, week by week. For most part, the city mostly managed to remain stagnant. There were periods of time in Roskor¡¯s history when they had multiple level 80 individuals, and they were able to expand a bit. They even sent out expeditions, but they never came back.
¡°Don¡¯t you have [message] networks?¡± The woman asked.
One of the elders paused, as if surprised that the woman knew of such a thing. ¡°It- it¡¯s not reliable. There are demonic energy storms that frequently interrupt those [message] networks.¡±
¡°I see.¡± The woman in front of them said.
Novorosk watched as the woman began to interrogate them on the history of the world, as if they knew absolutely nothing. They asked about the gods of the world of Landas, and about the different gods, then its history, and its heroes.
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It really was as if they knew nothing.
Eventually, the two women, the one that felt like a soldier, and the other one that felt like the night, looked at each other. ¡°Well, thank you for your hospitality. We will be leaving now.¡±
¡°Leaving?¡± One of the elders, Elder Noroskor, said. ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s dangerous out there, with all the demons.¡±
But the two other elders immediately looked at Elder Noroskor, and he immediately shut up.
¡°My apologies, distinguished visitors, we do not mean offense. We doubt the demons would pose a threat.¡±
Edna grinned. ¡°It is fine. On behalf of our leader, Aeon, this world will be under our protection. You will be hearing of us soon enough.¡±
Novorosk¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t leave the woman, and in that small, cramped room, felt as if the world shifted around him. There was something about that supreme confidence, a swagger and weight that truly gave that ridiculous sentence credibility.
He had long believed that their life in this world was one of endless struggle for survival.
But his heart pounded.
The world was going to change.
He could feel it in his soul.
***
Treehome
Lausanne
Lausanne was in the crowd when Roon and Johann stood before them. There were about five hundred Valthorns present, many recalled from a recent tour of service in Threeworlds. With the human kingdoms largely stable, the number of active personnel was reduced and reshuffled.
There were many newer, recently ¡®promoted¡¯ Valthorns. Those previously in the lower level 80s to 100s, and now that they reached Level 100, they were ready to join the higher tier of the Valthorns.
There were more from Mountainworld, too. What was once a really small group of soldiers now grew, thanks to the large recruitment process over at Branchhold over the past few decades. It¡¯s been almost 70 years since Branchhold was established, and now the force from Branchhold was a respectable quarter of the total present.
In time, Lausanne believed that Threeworld¡¯s human and centaur recruits, and also the new Tropicsworld soldiers would join the ranks.
They would have to prepare for another tour of service.
The Valthorns were expected to support multiple locations. Delvegard, and up to fifteen peripheral worlds, as identified by Hawa.
¡°So, ready for a trip to faraway worlds?¡± Kei smiled. The briefing was over, and what came next was for each of the Valthorns to sign up, or abstain. Kei once said that this process was a little like how companies would ask for volunteers to go on faraway outstation assignments, and how it was a common thing in the merchant guilds of Earth.
Lausanne found the concept amusing, and nodded. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a lot to do there. If we can make a difference to the lives of the locals, yeah, I¡¯m up for it.¡±
The golem nodded. ¡°Ever the hero at heart.¡±
Lausanne immediately glared at the female golem. She smiled.
¡°I¡¯m joking.¡±
Lausanne poked her playfully. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±
At that point, Kei looked at the counter. They were allowed to sign up immediately, or go back and think about it. Most of the Valthorns would mull on it for a few days.
¡°Which world looks good to you?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know yet, do we?¡± Lausanne laughed. ¡°But the peripheral worlds would be a place where I think I can contribute. At least there should be more demons to destroy. Delvegard doesn¡¯t seem particularly interesting to me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the safer option, and more suitable for those fond of more subtle types of moves.¡± Another Valthorn spoke, and Lausanne nodded. Not all Valthorns were the warrior types, some were spies, like Spymaster Intip, and many others were diplomats. Each of them had worlds and situations that best made use of their talents.
For Lausanne, she felt she belonged in the battlefields. She longed to fight against demons, an experience now mostly missing from Treehome.
Roon and Johann also spoke of the void worlds, but the void worlds would remain off limits for non-domain holders. The presence of unusual creatures and strange rules meant the void worlds were a significantly higher risk to the elite Valthorns, while the peripheral worlds, as unloved, soon-to-be-godless worlds, are likely to be free of more obstructive and invasive divine meddling.
Lausanne listened as Roon and Johann narrated that the meeting was more to assess the level of interest amongst the Valthorns. The exploration team of Stella, Edna and Ezar was still surveying the faraway worlds, and the Valthorn presence would come in once they¡¯ve established the general details.
The initial reports were not encouraging. The earliest departure to the peripheral worlds would happen within days, because the peripheral worlds were all under heavy attack.
The elven warrior listened, and wondered whether she¡¯d be able to join the exploration team like Edna. That sounded interesting, and she remembered how she used to explore the other continents of Treehome.
She would like to be there. Exploration was one of her other interests. She heard tales of how Valthorns were involved in exploring the various tunnels and caves of Mountainworld, and her heart wished she was a part of it.
¡°You look like you have unanswered questions, milady. Something on your mind?¡± At that point, Johann was the one that approached Kei and Lausanne.
Lausanne smiled back, and spoke her mind. ¡°I was thinking about the explorers, and wonder what it¡¯ll be like to be one.¡±
Johann nodded. ¡°If you are interested, I believe Aeon would be happy to rotate you to the exploration team.¡±
Lausanne agreed. ¡°Ah, I will raise it the next time I speak to him.¡±
Johann grinned. Few people could answer that way. ¡°We look forward to having you with us on the field, Lausanne. From what I know, we¡¯ll need almost all our people.¡±
Lausanne nodded.
It was horrifying.
The peripheral worlds were pretty much demon-infested, at different stages of destruction.
Yet, she found herself excited at the prospects.
***
Treehome
Aeon.
¡°Are we involved in the peripheral worlds?¡± Colette and Prabu asked. They were briefed, naturally, as were Adrian and Khefri. The presence of heroes in these worlds rekindled the idea of a League of Heroes, one that would be managed by Kei.
¡°Yes. The number of worlds involved would require all of you to be deployed, at least to help remove the threat of the demon kings.¡± I responded directly. ¡°The Valthorns would then come in to sweep up the rest and help rebuild these worlds. I will need you all to step in, if there are any heroes surviving.¡±
¡°You will be doing this in your own name?¡± Colette wondered. ¡°Or on behalf of Hawa?¡±
¡°My own. If Hawa wishes to spread his presence, he can send some of his forces over, we¡¯d be happy to facilitate, but since it¡¯s our lives on the line, I¡¯ve got no intention of letting him get the credit.¡±
Colette paused before answering. ¡°I see.¡±
I¡¯d like to minimize the role of the heroes, simply because their strength is inconsistent. My domain holders all appear much more stable and centered, while the heroes feel like they could snap. Well, maybe except for Colette.
Colette¡¯s [liberated hero] gave her a sense of calm and assuredness that the rest of them didn¡¯t have. Even her partner had strange outbursts, like when he interacted with Chung.
It was a strange thing to feel, even though I personally like talking to Prabu more than the rest. The heroes all have a switch in them that could trigger without notice and suddenly alter their reactions and behavior. It is for this reason that they are unreliable, even if interacting with them on a day to day basis can be pleasant and friendly.
They were trustworthy, until they suddenly were not.
I didn¡¯t want to work with these sorts of requirements. Not in the peripheral worlds, and not when we took the battle to the demon sun.
So, I intended that the peripheral worlds become a farming location for my Valthorns, and hoped we could elevate a few more of my Valthorns.
Once we stabilized the demon situation, I intended to deploy at least two clones, in the largest, most populous worlds, and use that presence to transform those worlds. I would like these peripheral worlds as future ¡®core¡¯ worlds, just like Treehome, Branchhold, and what I was doing with the world of Delvegard.
The data that came back from Edna and Stella was rather depressing.
The first world they were in, Landas, was almost conquered by the demon king.
The demon king that attacked Landas was some kind of flying demon king, and Landas itself faced demons with high regularity, apparently records, whatever little that they have left, claimed that the demon kings attacked almost every ten years.
They also used to have heroes, but the amount of heroes shrunk quite quickly, and so the condition in their world deteriorated rapidly. It only held on due to the many, many historical relics left behind by all the different heroes, and the high leveled warriors that protected their cities.
In short, they were perfect as our first base.
From Stella''s surveys, they really needed help.
***
285. Interludes - Greenfield Expansion II
- Peripheral Landas 3
Edna
Edna and team arrived at the next location on the map, only to find it was already an open air cemetery. The bodies of elves torn by the flying demons were everywhere. Blood and the smell of rotting bodies filled the air. The elves probably died no more than a few days ago, because the bodies were only beginning to rot.
¡°We¡¯re too late.¡± Edna said.
Ezar¡¯s shock was brief, because he quickly steeled himself, and nodded. There were things that needed to be done. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We don¡¯t want to be late for the next one.¡±
Edna looked at the two rangers and druids. ¡°Wait. Too late to save the cities, but there may still be survivors. Let¡¯s search underneath all of this. We should help them before we leave. Just in case anyone¡¯s left.¡±
The knight¡¯s words made the Valthorn druid regain his composure, and spread out his senses. The ranger used a kind of calming ability on himself, and searched.
Ezar looked at Stella. ¡°Lady Stella, send me over to the other locations first. If there are demons, I want to be there.¡±
Stella nodded, and the portal whirled open. As expected, there were demons. Ezar nodded, and he stepped to the other side.
About that time, the druid shouted. ¡°There¡¯s a small group of them hidden underneath this rubble. They¡¯re very weak!¡±
After stating that, roots and vines immediately emerged from the druid and pierced into the rubble, and began to lift the collapsed structure. A set of roots reached for the semi-unconscious elves hidden underneath. They were injured, hungry, and almost dying. Only three. But three was better than none.
Edna got to them, and immediately used a set of potions on them. Their wounds healed, and soon their eyes opened to the sight of Edna¡¯s glimmering form.
¡°Are we dead?¡± They asked.
¡°No.¡± Edna said gently. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±
The ranger then shouted. ¡°There¡¯s another few hidden here. They¡¯re in bad shape too.¡±
The druid and the mage immediately went over, while Stella checked on the first group. From his pocket space, they took out more potions. They continued to search and soon found, in total, twenty survivors. Mostly children and their mothers, hidden underneath the rubble.
Many were delirious, but the potions helped with the physical wounds and the shot of food helped with their hunger.
Stella immediately opened a portal, and sent them back to the Fortress of Roskor.
Novorosk was there when the portal opened before his eyes.
¡°Warleader Novorosk. These are the survivors from the nearby city. Take care of them.¡± The ranger guided the survivors through the portal.
Novorosk stared. ¡°-what-¡±
¡°Just take care of them. Feed them and house them somewhere. We will come back and check.¡±
Novorosk panicked, but nodded. Once all of them were over, the portal closed.
At that point, Edna then looked back at Stella. ¡°Ezar¡¯s right. If there are other cities, we should go and get to them quickly. The more survivors we can save, the faster we can get this world back on it¡¯s feet. Aeon needs to send more people over, and to all of the fifteen worlds.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t scout that many worlds at the same time.¡± Stella countered. The domain holders must be first to go. The druid¡¯s roots immediately rescued another few more elves hidden under the buried rubble.
The demons killed indiscriminately. To the demons, the mortals were just obstructions. What the demons wanted was the planet¡¯s core. Everything else was unnecessary.
Edna looked around. ¡°I think we can leave this world to the rest of the Valthorns. Leave Ezar here just in case. We must start moving. We don¡¯t know what condition we¡¯ll find in the other fourteen worlds. Each day we waste, is another day for the demons to slaughter more of these folks. Many of them do not have our advantages. We need full mobilization now.¡±
¡°-but.¡±
¡°Us domainholders will need to start hopping. Let¡¯s deploy the [node] here, and we¡¯ll use this place as our launchpad.¡± Edna said. ¡°We need all the domainholders, in all the peripheral worlds.¡±
Stella pointed to the immediate problem. ¡°There¡¯s not enough of us to cover all the worlds.¡±
There were eight domain holders, excluding Aeon, and there were fifteen worlds. There were only four heroes.
¡°We¡¯ll have to leave node trees there, and use that to support those worlds where we can¡¯t. The [heroes] will have to step in. We will need to hop extensively.¡±
Stella nodded. That wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was the best plan they could do with their current resources. Fifteen worlds also meant some worlds wouldn¡¯t have a [node] tree. Aeon only had nine node tree slots left, after the first one was used on Delvegard.
¡°Kafa will have to leave Delvegard.¡±
¡°Delvegard¡¯s priority should be lower.¡± Edna countered. ¡°Lives are at stake. Let¡¯s make haste. We can afford to patch it up as we go.¡±
Stella nodded. ¡°Very well. Let me do so.¡±
***
Ezar
The portal led to a horde of demons attacking what was probably a city. It was one, once. There was already crazy fighting when he arrived, the demons have stained the lands with blood and corpses. Flying demons loomed, as arrows zoomed.
The defenders were fighting with their lives on the line. Everyone was fighting. There were children, old elves, all doing their best with sticks and whatever weapons they had.
He looked around, and immediately spotted the demon champion in charge. It was one of those axe champions. A large bulky demon with four giant wings, two large clawed legs, and two arms, each with a large burning battleax.
He fought demons across the worlds, many times and always found them to be emotionless creatures. If anything, he always thought the demons looked afraid. But it was ridiculous. The demons didn¡¯t feel fear. So, he didn¡¯t believe it either when he thought the demon champion looked smug.
Demons had no feelings. Ezar¡¯s enchanted gauntlets glowed, as he channeled his domain ability. In an instant, the burst of energy from his fist smashed into the champion, and it splattered to death, unaware what hit him.
The death of the demon champion sent the demon army into a wild frenzy, but that was intentional.
Ezar activated the rings on his fingers, and released it¡¯s stored ability. They summoned five gigantic beasts. Two lions, and three gray wolves, each about level 80 in power. ¡°Go and slay the demons.¡±
The presence of the five giant animals instantly drew the attention of the demons. Without the demon champion, the rest of the flying demons were torn apart by the five powerful magical beasts.
Ezar hopped, and in a single leap he landed right next to the breaking lines. He spoke, his voice carried by the weight of his [domain].
¡°Stand back.¡±
To the defenders fighting for their lives, they did.
Ezar¡¯s gauntlet glowed, and he punched with such weight that all the demons in front of him were crushed in a single energy punch.
There was no need to use his domain ability here. He watched as his five summoned beasts tore through the demons, and the flying demons fled. Any demon that got close was crushed.
¡°-mommy, are we saved?¡± There was an elven boy, who looked absolutely in awe. He was dirty, covered in blood, but her mother was injured. Her mother, an elf, held a sharp, pointy wooden stick as a weapon.
Her mother looked around. Everyone did. There was a feeling amongst all of the elves.
Disbelief.
Hope.
Relief.
Ezar turned. ¡°Is this it? Any more demons?¡±
The elves didn¡¯t know what to answer. So no one answered. Ezar realized they probably wasn¡¯t in any condition to know.
The place was probably a fortification of some kind, but the walls were already destroyed. The elves were fighting their last stand within the city itself, because they couldn¡¯t outrun the flying demons. Not that there was anywhere else to go, anyway.
The elves looked amongst themselves. There were no leaders left, all that was supposed to lead them died during the battle. The five beasts walked closer to Ezar, now that their target have been destroyed, and the elves stared in fear.
Ezar looked back at them. They were creatures tagged to his enchanted summoning ring. One of his many equipments. There was no need to speak the command, high-tier summons are mentally linked to their masters, but Ezar said it to assure the elves. ¡°Patrol the perimeter. Roar if there are any demons.¡±
The lions and wolves roared in acknowledgement, and they ran to secure the perimeter. The elves were relieved to see the creatures move.
¡°Bring all the wounded here. I¡¯ll help them where I can. Those that can¡¯t move call me.¡± Ezar said, as the rest of the elves scrambled to sort everything out. But at that point, they obeyed.
Ezar looked around, and frowned. This wasn¡¯t the only world.
¡°Ezar to Stella, Ezar to Stella. This location is safe, but we need to keep moving and hit the rest of the cities. Can you open a portal?¡±
¡°Portal incoming. We plan to deploy a node soon to bring more forces over. Domain holders will need to visit all the peripheral worlds as soon as possible to deploy nodes.¡±
Ezar smiled. It was nice having teammates that he could count on. ¡°Acknowledged. Let me know.¡±
***
Ezar turned back to face the elves, as Ezar checked his inventory. At that point, the portal swirled open, and both Stella and the druid stepped out. ¡°Ezar, you¡¯re needed elsewhere. Falin will handle the healing and fixing the security.¡±
Falin, the level 130 Valthorn druid, got to work.
¡°There are other locations with demons.¡± Stella said, as she prepared to open a portal again.
Ezar nodded, as Falin looked at the location. The druid¡¯s arms glowed briefly, as roots shot out of his arms. At that moment, a wall of bramble emerged around what¡¯s left of the elven encampment. ¡°This should protect the location for now.¡±
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°Where¡¯s Edna?¡±
¡°There¡¯s another location. A proper city. It may be under siege.¡±
¡°Is it our timing? Why are cities under siege at this time?¡± Ezar found it terribly unusual. It is common knowledge that most reinforcements arrive either too early or too late, though in some ways, they are too late. Somehow, so many cities are under siege.
Stella smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that later. Portal open. Go go go. I¡¯ll deploy the node once Aeon acknowledges our request.¡±
***
Ezar didn¡¯t know where and how far he was from Stella, but it didn¡¯t matter. He trusted she¡¯ll come back for him once it was over. The portal opened and he arrived to immediately see three demon champions in the air.
Three! How cute.
The demons actually saw him this time, and they roared at him.
He punched through them. Two died instantly, and then he dashed towards the third with such speed that the third demon champion briefly looked horrified. He was fairly sure it wasn¡¯t horror. Perhaps it was just a survival reaction.
It died.
The elven city of this location was protected by a magical shield that felt like [star mana]. A quick glance suggested that this was a fairly prosperous city at one point in it¡¯s life. But it had a breach.
There were two more demon champions there, battling the defenders. The defenders here was actually fairly competent. There were two level 80 plus elven warriors battling against the demon champions, and they looked like they had special equipment from a much earlier time.
¡°Stella, I don¡¯t think this location needs help. They have [hero items].¡±
¡°Really?¡± Stella responded through the [message]. ¡°Uh, give me a couple of minutes, I¡¯ll send you elsewhere.¡±
¡°Got it. I¡¯ll make myself useful for a bit.¡±
He looked around, and decided to just help their odds for a bit. His domain spread out. Everyone saw Ezar glowing midair like a god of war, his fists shimmered with power like the fists of furious heavens. Lightning, fire and the elements each in a single punch.
The demons charged at him. Mindlessly.
The two demon champions trying to break the gates turned to face him, as they soon decided he was the larger threat.
They all were nothing before a [domain holder]. His domain was oppressive to these lesser demons.
They died in a splatter of magic.
The elven defenders stared at Ezar in horror. Ezar merely smiled, and decided it was worth it to pitch his presence. He scrambled to recall the name in the map. ¡°Greetings, Elves of Shorodosk. I come in the name of Aeon. You will hear from us soon.¡±
The elves looked like they had more questions, but Stella¡¯s portal opened.
¡°Deal with the remnants.¡± Ezar commanded. ¡°Stay safe. We will contact you.¡±
And he stepped through the portal, and left the elven defenders wondering what happened.
***
Edna
This was supposed to be the biggest city known to Roskor Elves, at least, for a few centuries ago. This place was supposed to be the old capital of the White Elves, Nunarnusk. When Edna arrived, what she found was a fortified city that was battered in many, many places.
It reminded her of Mountainworld. The same scrappiness in the eyes of the people. The same ruthless desire to protect themselves. Everyone here fought wars. Generations lived to fight, and so their people turned hardy.
Tough.
They made do with what they have. Because they had no choice.
They deserved better, of course. This kind of society destroyed those who didn¡¯t adapt to this kind of life. Who couldn¡¯t adapt, because they were talented in a field that this world didn¡¯t need.
A sad thing, but societies like this have to make do.
The city of Nunarnusk was protected, just like the other city. There was a magical shield that stopped attacks and blocked demons. But they were also selective, and allowed for the elves to move in and out freely. So, the shields that protected the city didn¡¯t work on Edna.
She felt it¡¯s energy wobble. It was weak. It weakened a lot over the years, but the fact that it still held for so long was testament to the incredible power of [star mana].
Immediately within Nunarnusk¡¯s shield bubble was a layer of battered walls made of stone, wood, and whatever rubble they got their hands on. There were guards on all the towers, and everyone looked tense.
There were demons, but the demons were not attacking. Instead, Nunarnusk was under siege. There were five to six demon champions, all seemingly waiting. Edna thought of helping, but realized it was better to figure out what was happening.
Edna cloaked her presence even before she went through the portal and so as she walked through the tired crowds, it was clear everyone was preparing for the next fight.
It¡¯ll be hard for anyone to see her here.
¡°Have we patched the left walls?¡± Edna eventually found someone that looked like a leader, and he was barking orders to the worker men. The elf had armor, and exuded power equal to someone at the very limit of their strength. Most likely level 85.
Some of the workers were injured. A lost limb, a limp. They did the repairs, because in a fight, they¡¯d be useless.
It was very rare to see amputees and folks with lost limbs in the Valthorns and Valtrian Order. Ever since Aeon healed Jura¡¯s limbs many, many decades ago, Aeon made it a point to restore everyone¡¯s limbs. Aeon even extended the treatment to the general populace, though there was a lottery that was always oversubscribed.
The leader turned to face another set of workers. ¡°All the folks that can fight are waiting for you, Commander Argo.¡±
The man known as Commander Argo nodded. Edna quietly followed. Argo glanced briefly in her direction, but he was unable to pierce her illusion items.
There were about a thousand fighters there, all armed with weapons and armor. Edna¡¯s quick glance told her all she needed to know. Half of them were injured in some way, and only about three hundred were in full fighting form.
Commander Argo soon elaborated on what seemed to be common knowledge to those present. The demons have been waiting outside for the last one week after their earlier failed assault. There were more demons coming, and the demons had the city of Nunarnusk surrounded. Commander Argo opted for a defensive strategy. Stay put and keep waiting.
Edna listened, and surveyed those present. There were about seven or so that had a power aura similar to Commander Argo. Level 80 to 85 meant they could take on the demon champions and win.
They¡¯d survive this battle. There were enough strong warriors here to survive the siege.
Then, as the group was dismissed, Commander Argo was surrounded by that same group of strong warriors. And internal divisions emerged. There were whispers of going against the Commander¡¯s plan, and the high powered folks were split in half. Together, they¡¯d survive.
Three of them had enough. ¡°We¡¯re tired of waiting. We charge out there and break this siege. We need the resources outside our walls, Commander. We cannot hold up like this forever.¡±
Argo countered. ¡°We don¡¯t even know if those resources are still there. The demons could have destroyed it.¡±
¡°Then what? We keep waiting and let them destroy those resources? We need the iron quarries and the white-iron stones. Our weapons need repairs. Our healers need the white-iron stones to make some of our healing tools. We¡¯re dying if we keep holding here.¡±
Edna thought the conversation was slightly pointless. If she acted, they wouldn¡¯t have this issue. But she listened. It was good to know what was going on.
Argo frowned. ¡°There are five ax champions out there. The four of you rushing out there is a death sentence. The demons will get us separately.¡±
The equipment used by the four elves were in pretty bad shape. They were battled and scarred, and some of its old magic lost. ¡°Then come with us.¡±
¡°The city is defenseless! We cannot leave the city defenseless!¡± Argo countered.
¡°The shield will hold.¡±
¡°The shield will not.¡± Argo said, frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s energies are weak, and won¡¯t last if the demons attack. It¡¯ll need time to recharge.¡±
¡°Then why are we waiting? We must charge out there and defeat them before they overwhelm us. You¡¯re being too careful, Argo. It¡¯s time to go out there and defeat them.¡±
Argo paused. ¡°Can you give me half a day to think about this?¡±
The other elves looked at each other, they shrugged. ¡°Fine. Commander Argo, we¡¯ll charge out there, whether you are coming or not.¡±
Argo frowned. ¡°Please- don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±
***
Edna trailed Commander Argo to his own office. There was a small office filled with resources scattered everywhere, and he sat on the only chair in the cramped room.
He was talking to himself then. ¡°It¡¯s always like this-¡±
Edna then appeared at the door, as she disabled her cloak. ¡°Commander Argo.¡±
Argo turned, and his weapon of choice, a kind of dagger, was immediately pointed at Edna. ¡°Who are you?¡±
Edna smiled. ¡°An ally. Well, a potential ally.¡±
¡°An ally?¡± Argo looked around. ¡°Are you alone?¡±
¡°Sort of, yes. But I¡¯d like to talk. About your city, and everything.¡±
¡°And what makes you think I¡¯ll talk to a stranger. How did you even get here?¡± Argo said, totally unused to the fact that there was a stranger.
¡°Because, Commander Argo, I can help.¡±
¡°You can? You, alone?¡±
¡°Of course not. I am here on behalf of Aeon and the Valtrian Order, and we are here to destroy the demons.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve never heard of anyone outside your city.¡± Edna corrected. Most communication between cities collapsed due to the constant demonic attacks, as cities turned insular.
¡°That¡¯s not true. There was a period of peace after the hero Junmark defeated the demon king 59 years ago-¡±
¡°Is it? But how many demon kings since then?¡± Edna asked. ¡°Every hero that came after is weaker, and fighting against tougher odds as the demons established stronger footholds. Every hero weakened, since they couldn¡¯t level quickly with the loss of the low level habitats commonly used for farming.¡±
Heroes could spar to gain levels, but given their situation, he wondered whether the kingdoms would just immediately force the heroes out to the battlefield.
Argo looked at Edna like she was an alien. ¡°So, what do you want?¡±
¡°Tell me the history of Nunarnusk in an hour, and tell me everything. I assure you, I will deal with your demon siege once this is over. You can even watch.¡±
Argo had never seen a stranger, but Edna¡¯s presence overwhelmed him. His eyes looked at the knight, and thought she was mad. Confident, but mad. ¡°-very well.¡±
***
The demons came in huge waves every ten years. The past few decades, the hero was able to defeat the demon king, but they did so at great cost. The last attack left the previous hero without one of his arms, and cursed by a dark magic that no one in the entire world could break.
Thanks to the curse, the hero couldn¡¯t go on and destroy the remaining demons. Instead, he was like a weakened, semi-dying man wishing he could die, but the [hero] class was too strong.
Even severely weakened, no one could kill him. His soul and blessings were still too strong. So, the hero rested in a city of the Night Elves called Chursky. That was the last communication Nunarnusk received from Chursky about six years ago.
For Nunarnusk, the demons never really stopped. The great deserts, of which there were seven great deserts, each turned into demonlands and continued to spit out demons by the hundreds and thousands, and so travel between cities became a matter of great risk.
Only cities that were really close together could still communicate regularly.
There were no gigantic oceans in Landas. Instead, there were six great lakes, and at the center of those great lakes were the few bastions of the old elven empires. Nunarnusk lost touch with those old bastions a few years ago.
***
Edna listened, and laughed. ¡°Very well, call your men. Call them all to the walls. I, on behalf of Aeon, would like to demonstrate our intentions.¡±
Commander Argo thought it was rather embarrassing, but when he left his office, the six other level 80s were waiting for him. He looked back at Edna, and then towards the walls. ¡°To the walls.¡±
The four that supported the push outwards looked surprised. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
The seven gathered up on the walls, and Edna followed quietly behind. The rest of them didn¡¯t notice her, they were busy preparing for the charge out. The four immediately called their own supporters to prepare for the charge.
Once they were at the walls, Argo looked at Edna. ¡°So, what is it that you want to demonstrate?¡±
It was at this moment that everyone noticed Edna¡¯s presence. Edna nodded, her cloak vanished to reveal her in shining armor. Two anti-demon swords appeared magically, and there and then, her domain flooded the city.
Everyone felt it, Argo as well.
¡°[Regenerating Guardians].¡±
Five glowing magical knights appeared, and they flew. They were ephemeral objects, and they shared Edna¡¯s toughness. They zoomed across the skies, creatures of magic.
Creatures made from Edna¡¯s [Domain].
Edna looked around. ¡°There are demons on the other side, as well?¡±
Argo nodded, his white hair seemed whiter, his fair face a slightly greenish pale.
Edna¡¯s energies wobbled outwards, as more magical knights appeared. Edna¡¯s lesser magical summons swarmed outwards, a hundred magical knights now took the field.
It was a short battle, because none of the demons could even harm Edna¡¯s guardians.
The seven leading defenders of Nunarnusk looked at Edna, with both a mix of awe and fear. ¡°Well, Commander Argo of Nunarnusk, I am Edna of the Valtrian Order, and we are here to recruit allies. If you agree to join us, you will have our protection, but in turn, we will require you to support our war against the demons.¡±
Argo nodded. There was no other word to say.
***
¡°Okay. Nunarnusk is secure, we¡¯ve added it to the fold. Has Aeon approved the node tree¡¯s placement?¡± Edna said as the elves of Nunarnusk breathed a rare moment of relief.
Stella responded. ¡°Yes. Node deployment approved. But we need to decide on a location.¡±
Ezar, also on the same discussion, added. ¡°Just pick a location and start sending Valthorns over. Is there a hero in this world?¡±
¡°Yes. Want to arrange a visit?¡± Edna countered.
Ezar laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s bet. A hundred gold that it¡¯s under siege.¡±
Edna chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a stupid bet. The hero is there, the demons must be drawn to him like moths to a flame. Also, the hero seems to be cursed.¡±
Stella frowned. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the decision¡¯s made for us. Let¡¯s place the node tree where the hero is. Send the hero back to Treehome, let Aeon work on him, and send him back here to fight.¡±
Edna had a feeling what happened on Landas would be a tale similar across all the worlds.
286. Greenfields III
- The node and the hero
Edna, on Landas, the Elven Peripheral World
The portal whirled open to the old location, supposed to be where the hero was. Nunarnusk was once the great capital of the White Elves, and so, they retained many old records, stored, luckily, in their underground vaults. The locals gladly gave her a tour of the place, and indeed, there was a time long, long ago when they rivaled even the great empires of Threeworld or Mountainworld.
Great empires are but materials to be turned into sawdust in the hands of the demon¡¯s ever persistent grinding machine.
The old vaults were sealed magically. The White Elves hoped that if they fell, the city¡¯s history would still somehow remain within these vaults. There were no weapons here, instead, it was all books and records. Paintings.
And most importantly, detailed maps.
Maps, that made it easy for Stella to roughly locate it¡¯s location. An old White Elf, apparently almost 600 years old, volunteered to help them verify the location of the Hero¡¯s resting place. There was a time, a few centuries ago, when there was a lull in the demon¡¯s push. When they lucked out with a hero with the right mix of talent, capability and luck to help beat back the demons and push the balance of power in their favor.
During the fleeting era of peace, there was travel between the cities. There was trade that has long vanished. Magical travel was possible during the period, instead of the constant, perpetual disruptions today.
¡°Portal disruptions seem pretty common.¡± Stella said. A lot of the [messaging] and [teleportation] failure was entirely due to the demon¡¯s magical disruption, and for someone like Stella, it wasn¡¯t even hard to tell where those disruptive energies came from.
The demon¡¯s nests in the deserts of Landas were all sources of that disruption. Stella almost didn¡¯t notice them, but Stella¡¯s portals, that survived the shredding of reality and teleportation on far more chaotic environments like the Demon¡¯s Comet, easily overpowered the disruptions. If they had capable mages, they might have managed to maintain some semblance of a communication network even in spite of the disruptions, but Edna knew that those odds were unlikely.
Talent needed the right circumstances to flourish, and even today, even with the huge talent infrastructure of the Valthorns, mage training remains slow. Faster than before, but still, slow.
And so the portal opened, to a field of destruction and burnt wood. Ash.
It was a lake, once upon a time, but it has long since dried up. There were bodies filled with the corpses of the dead, though demons rarely left corpses. They decayed way too quickly.
There were champions in the distance, hammering at what appeared to be a magical shield. The shield protected a cherry tree that has long since withered and without a single leaf or flower.
There is an injured hero within that tree¡¯s little space.
All around the shield was just endless, endless destruction. The White Elf collapsed on the ground and wailed. ¡°This entire place- it- it used to be a large city. One hundred thousand High Elves once walked this land, and now, all that remains is the Sacred Cherry of the First Estate?!¡±
Edna and Stella¡¯s eyes both scanned the demon-filled surroundings, there certainly didn¡¯t seem to be anything resembling a city here. It was just a series of craters, whatever civilization didn¡¯t leave any structures or infrastructure that survived the demon¡¯s attack.
The champions all hammered away at the shield. The shield did not break. The shield did not bend. But they both could sense the attacks chipping away at it¡¯s strength. Slowly. The shield could last a few more years.
¡°Since I am here.¡± Edna said, as she jumped and landed not far away from the flood of demons. ¡°I might as well play.¡±
Her [Quest Swords] appeared by the tens, and the knight¡¯s magical summons soon appeared to accompany her. What were champions before a domain holder?
Stella created a shield around herself and her guide, the old white elf. Edna¡¯s blade shone like the fury of the stars. In the land that was once the First Estate, light returned, and ended centuries of darkness brought about by the demons¡¯ champions.
In what was no more than ten series of flashing lights, the army of demon champions crumbled.
The pounding of the shield ended, and an eerie silence returned to the land.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Edna¡¯s footsteps felt like the marches of a million soldiers. She walked to the gigantic Cherry tree that¡¯s all withered, and felt the presence of a heroic shield.
¡°Aeon would be pleased to find another spirit tree out here.¡± Edna said, her [quest swords] vanished into their own magical space.
Stella looked at the White Elf guide, ¡°Please return to Nunarnusk.¡±
The White Elf wanted to stay, but he dared no object. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt the Sacred Cherry. It is one of the most sacred places for all of the High Elves. Our ancestors have offended the gods enough, I do not wish to offend them further.¡±
Stella found that amusing. All the briefings they received suggested they were all enemies. ¡°Rest assured, if the Sacred Cherry is not our enemy, it would not find us a threat.¡±
The white elf went back through the portal, and Stella teleported up to Edna.
With not a single demon in sight, the withered Cherry Tree stood before them.
¡°So, do we talk to it?¡± Stella asked. ¡°Or do we require Lumoof¡¯s presence? Connect roots and stuff.¡±
¡°I thought you said we¡¯d just deploy Aeon¡¯s clone here and be done with it.¡± Edna teased, but the nature of their work meant most plans had to be adjusted. Reality and plans were not good friends.
A root emerged from Edna¡¯s body, an ability of Aeon¡¯s familiar. It pierced the dirt around them, and made contact with the roots of the Cherry Tree.
The sensation was immediate, like two minds touching. But her domain protected her, while the counterpart was unprotected.
[Domain blocked attempted intrusion]
But they could still speak through the connection of roots.
¡°Greetings.¡± Edna¡¯s words were transmitted through the roots from her body. All she felt was a weak whimper from the other side. Its thoughts were slurred and weak.
Edna could feel the vulnerability, the frailness in its energies, and so she tapped into the familiar¡¯s healing powers. Though nothing like the real thing, the effects were immediate, as the flow of healing energies into the Cherry Tree reinvigorated the withered plant, it¡¯s branches and trunk gained color that was lost, and small cherry buds began to emerge from the tips of it¡¯s branches. New leaves spawned from the tips of the tree.
It took about ten or fifteen minutes, but the Cherry Tree no longer withered. Stella smiled. ¡°Well?¡±
This time, the reply from the Cherry Tree had strength that was once lost.
¡°I greet our rescuers. Our gratitude knows no bounds.¡± The Cherry Tree¡¯s voice was like the whisper of a gentle old man.
Edna looked around. ¡°I was told the hero is here.¡±
¡°The hero lies within. Nursing his curse.¡±
¡°The hero is cursed.¡± Edna recited from experience. ¡°His soul feels as if he¡¯s wrestling against the darkness. There is demonic poisoning within his soul. A curse that tainted his soul, a mark that blemished his once pristine soul spring. He may even have voices in his mind, whispering demonic words.¡±
¡°You have seen this sickness.¡± Edna felt the Cherry Tree¡¯s surprise through their root connection.
The knight grinned in amusement. Things repeated. She understood why Aeon once said that what was possible, is pretty much a certainty to occur. Once they visited enough worlds, it was inevitable that they would meet those with similar circumstances.
¡°We have someone that can heal the curse.¡± Edna looked at Stella. ¡°We need Lumoof here.¡±
Stella caught on. ¡°On it.¡± The rift gate opened, though momentarily Edna detected the Cherry Tree¡¯s defensiveness. It must have suspected this was the demon¡¯s work.
The priest stepped through the rift gate, and the earth itself around them seemed to spring forth with life. Plants, grass spawned as if spurred on by the world itself, and the Cherry Tree¡¯s buds bloomed. What was a destroyed field turned into a field of young grass.
¡°Well, where is the patient?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°Within.¡± The Cherry Tree answered, and Lumoof nodded. The Cherry Tree¡¯s bark bent magically, and a door opened.
¡°[Secret Hideout].¡± Lumoof said as he approached the room. It was a tiny space, much smaller than the labyrinth within Aeon¡¯s true body.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Edna followed closely behind and saw an elvish man strapped to tree vines. One side of his arm turned black from the effects of the curse, a familiar old rot from a far older time. She saw something similar in Aeon¡¯s [dream academy].
Lumoof touched the elvish man, and he felt Lumoof¡¯s [domain] focus. It was instantaneous, because Lumoof¡¯s energies grabbed something within the elf hero, and pulled.
The demon¡¯s curse was ejected forcefully, a festering parasite that Lumoof grabbed and pulled out of his soul. It immediately transformed and attempted to take the form of some kind of demonic spawn. Edna¡¯s blade was through the spawn¡¯s body, and her shining blade destroyed it instantly.
The removal of the demon¡¯s curse restored health to the elven hero instantly, as the darkened skin on the hero¡¯s body regained color. His face that was once in pain instantly relaxed. Lumoof, Edna and Stella stood, and allowed the hero to sleep.
¡°Well, I was told there are many other worlds like this.¡± Lumoof looked at Stella as the three domain holders rested outside the Cherry Tree. ¡°Should you start moving?¡±
Stella shrugged. ¡°Well, yes, but we couldn¡¯t leave things in their current state here. And since we are familiar with this place already, we might as well finish what we started.¡±
¡°You are like us.¡± The Cherry Tree spoke abruptly.
Lumoof stopped. ¡°Ah yes, I did not introduce ourselves. We are from the Valtrian Order, and we are an organization that aims to defeat the demons across the multiverse. We were asked to come here, to shore up the local¡¯s defenses, as the old gods¡¯ presence fades.¡±
¡°You are a tree.¡± The Cherry Tree emphasized.
Edna and Stella chuckled.
Lumoof shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not a tree, I am merely the avatar of one.¡±
¡°There is no difference.¡±
¡°Oh, there is a huge difference.¡± Lumoof countered.
***
¡°We have authorization for deployment.¡± Lausanne sat quietly in the vast meeting room when the commander and strategist presented the layout. ¡°Our destination is Landas, and based on the map retrieved these are the identified settlements. Each team of ten will visit thirty locations, defeat demons, rescue survivors, help restore some basic semblance of civilization, and report back.¡±
Lausanne nodded, as the teams of ten were formed. All in all there were twenty teams. ¡°Nice to see you again, Ebon.¡± Lausanne smiled.
Ebon, the [aeonic battle knight], shook her hand. ¡°Glad to serve with you. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±
Ebon served as a knight for many decades, though he did take a break. But he was also one of those who was stuck in the high level 130s to 140s, unable to push on.
Then, a centaur approached. ¡°Arjan. You¡¯re on our team too?¡±
Arjan nodded. ¡°Hallowed company indeed. Aeon¡¯s princess and the old black knight.¡± The centaur peeked behind Lausanne to find another woman. ¡°And a matreearch.¡±
Lausanne turned and bowed before Matreearch Hoyia. ¡°I was not aware you are participating in this round of exploration.¡±
Hoyia smiled gently. ¡°There are younger priests to handle affairs on Treehome, and things are stable here. How could I resist diving into the deep end and see what it is like? I would have to trouble the rest of you to be my bodyguard.¡±
Lausanne chuckled. Hoyia was a Treeology Matreearch that served for decades and she doubted the woman needed protection. Not with her own natural set of blessings. Six other Valthorns joined the four, and they were all in the level 125 and above.
It wasn¡¯t the first run for most of them. The announcement came immediately that evening.
¡°Alright, the [node tree] was deployed, get ready for transport. Equipment ready! Final checks!¡± Lausanne checked her own backpack, and her spears. Her group would be led by Ebon, he was technically the most experienced one here with a long history of deployments to strange new worlds.
Ebon glanced at his team, and they all indicated their readiness.
¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡±
About 250 will be teleported over to Landas, but 50 of them will be around the [node tree]. ¡°The node tree in the outskirts of Nunarnusk.¡±
¡°Good luck.¡±
***
¡°Another survivor here.¡± Hoyia said, as she helped a young boy out of the hole. There was something about visiting a world where death is so commonplace, that survivors seem like a miracle.
Lausanne wondered how the boy survived in that hole, but such perilous circumstances often seemed to create miracles.
¡°Are you angels sent by the gods?¡± The young boy asked when he was much better. It almost seemed like all of them were surrounded by a halo.
Lausanne shook her head, even though she could see why the boy thought so. ¡°No.¡±
She remembered that conversation with Kei, how she was a hero in her eyes. She looked around, at her team, and saw they too had similar emotions. No matter what they said, in the eyes of these survivors, the team were heroes.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s send them to Roskor. We need to keep moving. More places to go.¡± Ebon commanded. This was their sixth location, and almost all of them were just ruins. Most survivors lucked out, somehow trapped under rubble but not yet dead. The others hid and ran. The rangers found many survivors this way, hiding in what remains of the forests, in caves or holes throughout the land.
Of the marked locations, they found a few somewhat intact cities. These cities and towns were all lucky, because long ago, the heroes left defensive items for them. Some ruins were just filled with dead people, dead for years, if not decades.
The seventh location was a field of death. Destruction claimed the land from long ago that plants began to grow from the ashes.
¡°This is what our world could be like.¡± Hoyia said quietly.
Arjan merely tapped the matriarch¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it for too long, priestess. Our focus is on rescuing survivors, if any remain.¡±
Lausanne remembered a similar scene on the Eastern Continent. The demons didn¡¯t get a chance to destroy freely, because Aeon existed. If the locals could not defend themselves, the solution was obvious. Aeon needed to be everywhere.
They needed to be everywhere.
Lausanne realized later that day that being everywhere was a lot harder than they expected.
***
They covered eleven locations that day, and gave themselves four hours to rest. They would need to keep moving.
¡°The domainholders will be moving to another world.¡± Ebon spoke when they woke from their rest. ¡°New orders. They expect that only four or five teams will remain in this world to support the natives by the week¡¯s end. We need to start making substantive improvement¡¯s to this world¡¯s defenses, as soon as possible.¡±
¡°-what?¡± Hoyia said. ¡°But we just came here.¡±
¡°There are fifteen worlds to reinforce. Treehome expects to send lower leveled Valthorns over to support those that remain.¡± Ebon said. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. We won¡¯t be able to rest much.¡±
***
The seven surviving domainholders had to split up, and formed three teams. Edna and Stella left Landas behind, and arrived in the next world. Lumoof and Kafa were sent to another one. Johann, Roon and Ezar to the fourth peripheral world.
All three teams found more worlds at stake. All these worlds were under attack by the demon kings. Some were almost all lost, and in others, the heroes were significantly less and weaker from their earlier days.
They were weakened, because the demons employed demonic curses extensively in all these worlds. Demonic parasites, demonic curses were found even in lesser beings, but these lesser beings died quickly.
¡°They are pulling the teams there already?¡± Hoyia¡¯s exasperation was immediate. ¡°Don¡¯t we have people on Treehome?¡±
¡°Too low leveled.¡± Ebon countered.
The Valtrian Order as a whole had about 3,000 level 100 and above individuals. A huge amount that meant the Valtrian Order far outclassed the powers of every other party in Treehome, Mountainworld, and Threeworlds combined.
It was, in every sense of the world, a monumental sum. A fighting force to fear.
But, about one third of these are non-combat classes. Crafters, enchanters, builders. Merchants and Lords. Mage-researchers. Trainers and teachers..
So, effectively, only 2,000 level 100 individuals that were ready for deployment. There was also a need to maintain standing forces on Threeworld, Mountainworld, and Tropicsworld. These three worlds¡¯ security situation required a larger staff strength. That eliminated another 1,000 or so level 100 individuals from deployment. If they stretched it, they could reduce the number to 500.
So, at any one point, only about 1,000 to 1,500 or so Level 100s could be deployed as an expeditionary or peacekeeping force, supported by a larger population of lower leveled Valthorns.
The high level math was obvious. ¡°If there are 15 worlds like this, we can only deploy about 70 to 100 level 100 individuals per world.¡±
It seemed like a big number, but each of these worlds were large places. These 70 Valthorns would definitely turn the tide and trivialize all lesser threats wherever they went, but they couldn¡¯t be everywhere. It wasn¡¯t large enough to cover all the places that needed help.
¡°It will have to do.¡± Ebon said. The support force of those below level 100 would have to fill up the gaps.
The team sat and processed Ebon¡¯s update. Lausanne looked around them, and wondered whether there were enough of them to reach these worlds in time.
¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We might have to depart for another world once we¡¯re done here too.¡±
They visited location after location in a rush, and finally, when they stopped at the last marked location, Lausanne stood over a corpse that was still warm. A young elven woman gored to death by demons.
Maybe if they reached the place an hour earlier, she would¡¯ve lived.
¡°No use thinking about it.¡± Ebon sat next to Lausanne as they ate some of their rations. There were few animals or wild creatures to hunt for food, and most forests were destroyed. The surviving cities all had their own specialized farms, supported by their local [druids] and [farmers]. ¡°We just have to keep going.¡±
Lausanne didn¡¯t like the feeling of helplessness. What price would she pay if she could save more people? No, what would she sacrifice to end this war?
Maybe that was Aeon¡¯s question. She knew Aeon sensed it all. Aeon could see this. He absorbs the spirits of the dead by the hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions.
Why would he not make a deal with the devil to end this slaughter?
¡°How many of us are left on Landas?¡± Lausanne asked.
¡°Six teams remaining. The other fourteen have been summoned to leave for the other worlds. More are getting ready.¡±
Lausanne looked around them. Hoyia helped some of the injured with her healing powers. Her blend of priestly and familiar powers meant she could fix most injuries instantaneously.
Thanks to the combined efforts of all their teams, they¡¯ve constructed a revised map of Landas, indicating all the surviving cities. Of the six great capitals of the elves, only three remained. The other three were razed into the ground by the demons. Nunarnusk, Atarusk and Sorokor were the three last elven capitals that stood in some way or form.
¡°Alright, Lumoof and Kafa have left the world.¡± Ebon said suddenly. It was a matter-of-fact update.
¡°Wait. It¡¯s been barely a few days?¡± Lausanne thought.
¡°Their world was in such terrible shape that there wasn¡¯t much left to help.¡± Ebon recited the communications that came through the network. Updates on the peripheral worlds were given regularly to each of the team leaders, along with updates on the domainholder movements.
¡°Did they deploy a node?¡±
¡°No. Not yet.¡± Ebon countered.
¡°What are our orders now?¡± Lausanne wondered as one of the druids helped create a reinforced wooden rampart for the survivors. They would survive. They¡¯ve eliminated almost all the demons they could find.
¡°None yet. At this point, Treehome Command¡¯s leaving it up to the rest of us team leaders to decide what to do. ¡±
Lausanne¡¯s instincts were simple. If the overarching goal was to reinforce the natives, then they could also accomplish that by weakening the demons. ¡°We have two main choices that maximize our presence. We strike the demon¡¯s bases in the deserts. Clean up the shit that was left behind, and reduce the frequency of demonic raids on the surviving natives. Or we support the elf hero¡¯s retaliation.¡±
Ebon nodded. ¡°The elf hero¡¯s in Treehome for now. So the hero¡¯s retaliation will have to wait until he returns. Let me talk to the rest of them and build a strike force.¡±
287. Greenfields IV
287 - THe elven hero on treehome
Novorosk, in Freshka, Treehome
Everything about the place was surreal. Novorosk looked around, and had never seen a city like it. It was massive and filled with creatures. Talking lizards and horse-people!
But more importantly, were the people that came along with him. People he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever see. Novorosk of Roskor couldn¡¯t believe the people he met. ¡°You- you¡¯re the [hero]?¡±
The elf man was gorgeous. He had features of the High elves, long light blonde hair that was till his waist, elvish ears, and handsome features that made the females present stare. He sighed, and somehow he managed to look good while sighing. ¡°Yes. Not a good one. I am Samuel, or since I¡¯ve come here, I go by the name Samahiro.¡±
¡°This way.¡± There were chauffeurs, attendants that led the group of twenty or so leaders of Landas to a large tunnel. The city was overwhelming to them, and all of them were dazed. Novorosk looked at the mass of people and immediately wondered how they were fed and housed.
Except Samuel, who looked at the city wistfully, as if remembering a life before his current one.
Novorosk was next to a lady with pale gray skin and equally gray hair. Among the elves, they were sometimes referred to as the Drow, but they referred to themselves as the elves of the night.
The woman and Novorosk exchanged glances, as if sizing each other up. Commander Argo, the leader of the White Elves of Nunarnusk greeted the rest of them. The fact that so many senior members of the various elven cities could gather made the Commander look as if he wanted to cry.
¡°Are you alright, Commander Argo?¡± Novorosk asked out of concern.
He rubbed his eyes. ¡°I, I just cannot help but feel a little teary, that the leaders of the various elven cities are allowed to meet under much gentler circumstances. This moment should be recorded. The first gathering of the elven leaders after a period of darkness.¡±
The woman was surprised. ¡°I believe it is too hasty to consider it the end of darkness.¡±
That statement made the rest of them freeze. It was true that they now have hope, but they were not out of the darkness yet.
Samuel, the elven hero, laughed. ¡°Look around us, lady. We are in an entirely different world, and we face a force clearly geared for war. If this is not the end of the darkness, then what evidence do you need?¡±
At that moment, a woman in a dark green uniform stepped out of a gigantic door. ¡°Greetings. Aeon is ready to see you now. Hero Samuel, you will have an additional, separate session after the meeting.¡±
***
The beetle led them underground, through tunnels and vines, but strangely, it felt as if the earth¡¯s pulse gained strength. The blood elves of Roskor were particularly sensitive to energy flows, particularly spiritual energy. It is spiritual energies that powered their blood-runes and blood-marks, and so the overwhelming presence of spiritual energy in the tunnels was a strange surprise.
¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡± The night elven woman asked the uniformed lady.
¡°You will meet our God, the leader of the Aeonic Pantheon.¡±
The night elf frowned, as if there was disbelief. They then saw the valley, with the pulsing trees and the flowing energies. The place pulsed, as if each of the trees possessed a heartbeat. There were streaks of light, as if the stars and meteors were trapped in the trees themselves.
¡°We are here.¡±
The beetle stopped in a gigantic courtyard, and in front of them was the biggest tree they have ever seen-
Then he felt it.
His attempts to look at the tree was met with a sensation as if a million eyes were upon him. His mind was immediately sucked into a maze of trees, and he felt lost. Novorosk didn¡¯t know how long he was in there, but then-
¡°You alright?¡± Samuel asked.
Novorosk suddenly felt himself pulled out of the maze, but what replaced it was immediately a sense of scale. He looked at the tree, and thought for a moment like he was looking at trees in other places, and the more he tried to look at it, the more he felt like his mind was being pulled apart.
His knees buckled, and quickly, he averted his gaze. The rest of them stared at the tree, and only to all kneel, their heads unable to look at the tree anymore.
¡°Greetings.¡± The voice was in their head, and Novorosk felt his skin tremble. His hair stood on it¡¯s end, as if that voice whispered right next to him, from both his ears at the same time. No, it was as if a choir spoke to him all at once.
Samuel the hero heard the voice too, and looked around, as if searching. ¡°Greetings? Who- who are we speaking to?¡±
¡°I am Aeon, the gigantic tree right in front of you. Welcome to my Valley. I have asked my people to bring you here for many reasons. Mainly, I ask for your cooperation.¡±
Samuel was the only one who could look back at the Tree. Novorosk¡¯s attempts to even glance at its roots immediately awakened that feeling from before. How? Why? The lady mentioned that the Tree was everywhere, and yet in this valley, why was the sensation so intense?
¡°Anything you command.¡± Novorosk answered, as if his soul compelled himself to answer. Just being here imprinted the Tree¡¯s presence in his soul. He would never forget.
¡°What is it?¡± Samuel asked.
¡°I will establish the Valtrian Order, on your world of Landas. We will help you rebuild, if you let us. But, we will also ask some among you to fight for us, and we will choose those willing and talented among you, to take this fight beyond your world, and further into the stars.¡±
Novorosk realized then that this was a conscription. Aeon intended to turn their world into one that supplied soldiers-
¡°Who are we fighting?¡± Samuel asked.
¡°The demons, of course.¡±
The night elven woman asked. ¡°Are- are you sent by the gods?¡±
There was a moment of silence, before the Tree answered into their minds. ¡°Your old gods are drifting away. I am here to take their place.¡±
Samuel was the only one standing. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Time, and expansion of the multiverse.¡±
Novorosk didn¡¯t understand it, but Samuel did. He looked at the Tree and sighed. ¡°Can you send me back home?¡±
¡°No. I am not the one that brought you here, and so, I cannot send you back.¡±
¡°Then who did?¡± Samuel asked.
¡°Hero Samuel. You will have another session later to speak to me privately, and with some other individuals that you will work with, if you choose to cooperate with us. To the rest of you, do you agree to assist my people as we settle in your world?¡±
The night elven lady answered. ¡°I cannot decide on the behalf of the rest of my people but I will try my best to convince them to agree.¡±
Commander Argo answered with a firmness he never exhibited back in Nunarnusk. ¡°Yes. We will support your people with all our might.¡±
The rest of them nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡±
Novorosk wondered how much of their answer was fear. They were ants, and the tree in front of them was the finger of god and could crush them if it so wished. It was a sensation he couldn¡¯t shake. A savior has come to their world, but their world will be reshaped in their savior¡¯s image.
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The guide helped the rest of them out, and they were all relieved to be brought far, far away from the gigantic tree.
Novorosk sat, and thought. His world will change. It will change into a world made to support this God¡¯s war. For once, they were no longer helpless victims of war.
This will be a better life for his people. For most of them, as the beetle brought them out of the valley and into the larger city, he realized that they now have a hope to live a life like they once did, and better. The various elven empires would be remade from what was left behind.
For most of them, this will lead them to prosperity.
But, he also noticed the soldiers of Tree. The short eared men and women, lizard-people and horse-people, all draped in weapons. They were strong, but he saw in their eyes a look he recognised.
These were people who lived a life of war. Never ending war.
Some of his own people will have to make the sacrifice for the rest of them. They will be transformed into pawns, to be deployed where the Tree saw fit. Some of them will be expendable pieces.
It is a sacrifice.
The few will have to bear the burdens of the many.
Novorosk looked at the prosperity outside of the beetle-carriage¡¯s windows, and felt the imprint in his soul.
If asked, he will be the first to raise his hand.
***
Aeon
The elven hero fidgeted quietly. He was nervous, and he had a lot of questions. But I decided to ask mine first. I wanted to hear from him directly.
¡°How did your first battle with the demon king go?¡±
Samuel paused, and shook his head. ¡°Bad. The demon king was some kind of Flying Demon, while I¡¯m an Archer. It should¡¯ve been a decent matchup, but the demon king¡¯s armor was so strong, and he possessed so many poisoned axes.¡±
¡°All demon king¡¯s attacks are poisoned to some degree. It is the nature of their energy. The Demonic Curse infects all that survive their attacks.¡± I briefly remembered that I was even poisoned by the demon¡¯s curse in the first few decades in this world, and it took years to remove it. The second time I was cursed, it was from the demonic mana, and that required my [domain] to free myself from its effects.
Samuel didn¡¯t know that. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Are there no surviving records in Landas?¡±
Samuel shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, and I also didn¡¯t think about it. There were no one left to man their stores or archives. The elven nation was battered when I came, and the demon king struck when I was only around level 90. I was not ready.¡±
That was plausible. If the gods summoned teenagers, they might lack life experience. If they summoned teenagers who didn¡¯t have much agency and mostly went along with the flow, they likely would not think too much about their strategy, and would not seek out information.
At that point, I introduced the four heroes. I teleported them in via my ability.
¡°Samuel, let me introduce the four that will now assist you. Adrian, from Mountainworld, Khefri, from Threeworld, and Colette and Prabu. They are fellow heroes.¡±
Samuel¡¯s eyes brightened, and his own senses immediately detected that they were like him.
Colette stared at Samuel, and immediately said. ¡°Wow you¡¯re so pretty! You¡¯re even more pretty than all the other elves I¡¯ve seen. You- you¡¯re like what I imagine an elf should look like.¡±
Khefri nodded furiously. ¡°You look like a doll.¡±
Samuel blushed. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry. This is the look they gave me. I- I didn¡¯t look like this originally, but-¡±
Khefri cursed. Her annoyance at her appearance never faded. ¡°You lucky bastard. They made you a beautiful elf. They made me into this scorpion shit.¡±
Samuel sighed. ¡°Milady, I wish we could¡¯ve traded places. This form did nothing but harm to me. The unwanted attention from the native elves just made life hard.¡±
¡°I know we just met, but to me, suffering from this ugly ass shit form, that sounds like ughh!¡± Khefri countered.
¡°These four are heroes, just like you, and they will help you with the battle against the demon king in Landas. I will have one of my domain holders support you.¡±
¡°One?¡± At that point, Khefri asked.
¡°The rest of them are exploring.¡±
¡°Can they come back after they¡¯ve done the initial exploring? I think this pretty boy still needs to gain some levels. He feels kinda low level.¡± Khefri countered.
¡°Acceptable. We may choose to liberate Landas once the rest of my domain holders visit all the fifteen worlds.¡±
At that point, Samuel interjected. ¡°Sorry, what- what is this about fifteen worlds?¡±
Colette answered. ¡°The gods intend to abandon fifteen worlds, so Aeon¡¯s tasked with taking over. In short, there¡¯s been a big ass mess that¡¯s got out of control, and these guys are the professional cleaning crew sent in to take over.¡±
¡°Shit, how can they do that?¡±
¡°Apparently, not much of a choice.¡± Colette said. ¡°Gods have a limited range.¡±
Samuel sat there and looked at the other four. ¡°If the four of you are here, it means there¡¯s no way back, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Colette shook her head. ¡°Death. The spirits of the dead heroes tell us death leads us back home.¡±
The elf hero stared. ¡°How?¡±
At that point, a Valthorn centaur guide appeared. The centaur spoke. ¡°The Journal Room awaits.¡±
The elf hero touched the journal as expected, and for a moment, all was well once more.
***
Lausanne, Landas
¡°Found them.¡± Lausanne spoke over [message]. She was high up on a tree that she made, and she saw the flying demons in the distance.
The operatives, spread all over the world of Landas, reached most of the known cities over the past two months. Death in demon form came to two thirds of them, and only one third of the known cities remain as actual, habited locations. The rest were ruins. Dead. Destroyed.
It was sobering, but it steeled her determination.
No, it steeled everyone¡¯s determination.
Sights of thoroughly ruined cities, cities where survivors died because no one came to help them, reminded them of a state possible if they fell. The devastation brought back memories of all her earlier campaigns.
The Order is ruthless. The Order is sometimes cruel. The Order can be callous. There were sacrifices made for power, but all this merely reminded them that their cause is true.
This was an enemy they must defeat.
Team Leader Ebon landed next to her, then a mage followed. The mage created spears of ice that flew towards the flying demons, and they died instantly.
¡°Alright. Let¡¯s move. The desert¡¯s not going to clean them up themselves.¡± Ebon answered, as the Valthorn force landed closer.
The Valthorns¡¯ extensive counterattack brought a moment of quiet to the cities, while Valthorn druids and operatives constructed new defensive formations. The now-destroyed city of Chursky, and home of the Sacred Cherry, became the new home of Aeon¡¯s node.
There was already a small force of builders constructing fortifications. An army of beetles and spiders marched behind them. Beetles outfitted with projectile weapons, fired from the abdomen. They have quite a few deserts to clear, before the heroes attempted to battle the demon king, now hidden deep within the tunnel to the core.
The demon king¡¯s journey to the Core would take a few years.
***
Edna, and Stella, The Second Peripheral World of Sarlpi
Edna and Stella arrived in a world of Fire and Ice. Plumes of smoke from volcanoes poured into the sky above. Demons were everywhere. The first habitation they found was a group of Lavapeople. They were humanoids, but with skin resembling fresh lava, they built their homes in a cave where rivers of lava flowed.
The demons were of the traditional kind. Fiery, with horns of flame, wings of flame, and axes of flames, accompanied their fire breathing cerberus and hellhounds. They were a terrible matchup for the Lavapeople. The Lavapeople¡¯s fire weapons were resisted by the demons, while the demons overpowered the Lavapeople with sheer brute force.
From the Lavapeople, or as they called themselves, the Arpik.
Edna and Stella then learned of the Snowpeople, the Sarljuk.
The people who were once the Lavapeople¡¯s mortal enemies, but they¡¯ve found peace with each other after a while. It significantly helped that the two races of the world of Sarlpi did not really contest the same territories. The Snowpeople live in the cold poles of the world, while the Lavapeople live in the warm central bands, and the areas where they intersected were populated by the Mixed Bloods, known as the Cham.
The Cham were sort of pariahs to the two sides, who preferred the purity of their own race. The Cham were people that resembled humans, and unlike the Snowpeople who retained some innate control over the powers of ice, or the Lavapeople who had innate control over fire, the Cham had none.
Still, as Edna and Stella surveyed the land, they eventually visited the Snowpeople, and found that many of the Snowpeople¡¯s great cities and nations remain unscathed.
The fire demons that so easily overpowered the Lavapeople were weakened by the hail storms and blizzards of the coldlands, and were easy pickings for the Sarljuk defenders. Even the demon champions were battered by the strong blizzards, and the strong natural coldness severely hampered their ability to expand into the cold north and south.
The demon king didn¡¯t care. There were no heroes in the world of Sarlpi. The last two heroes died about four years ago. The last two heroes were born to the Chams, and sadly, due to their pariah status, did not receive much support from the Sarljuk. Even their death did not affect the Sarljuk or the remnant Arpiks.
Instead, after the victory, the demon king dug into the depths. It had not succeeded in claiming the world, yet, but it would happen eventually.
Prosperous Sarljuks, and a battered, impoverished Arpiks. The Sarljuks saw no reason to help the Arpiks in their warm, volcano filled lands. It was also a land that was disadvantageous, they were weakened by the heat of the central lands.
¡°Life is unfair.¡± Stella said at the end of their visits.
¡°It always is.¡± Edna said. ¡°Let¡¯s help the Lavapeople and the Cham, and we¡¯ll end it there. The Sarljuks don¡¯t need us.¡±
Stella nodded.
¡°Selfishness.¡± Stella said. ¡°It seems it is a common thing throughout society everywhere.¡±
Edna nodded, but the Sarljuk had their own reasons. The warm lands of the Apriks were not friendly to the Sarljuk.
¡°It won¡¯t be the last we see.¡± Edna said. ¡°But let us keep moving to the others.¡± They didn¡¯t have much time to spend here. Not yet, anyway. They needed to complete a quick reconnaissance of the remaining worlds. Only then, the Order can form a coherent strategy on how and where to place the rest of Aeon¡¯s nodes, clones, and the rest of the Valtrian forces.
288. Greenfields V
The Third Peripheral World - The Deadworld
Lumoof landed in the third peripheral world only to find a world without survivors. This was a dead world, there was no one here, and as far as he extended his senses, it was all demons.
It was a world at the very edge of full conversion into a demon world.
Not a whiff of mortals.
He sighed, and spoke to Stella.
¡°Send me elsewhere.¡±
¡°Already?¡±
¡°This world is dying. I sense no survivors.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Stella said through their shared communication network.
Lumoof spent another few days scouring the world and found nothing. Ruins. Death. Corpses that were easily a decade old. There were some trees, some vegetation that survived the destruction wrought by the flying fire demons.
¡°Is it me, or are there a lot of flying and fire-type demons?¡± Lumoof asked. ¡°Stella, are you going to investigate the originating demon worlds?¡±
¡°Later-¡± Stella said. ¡°Still moving.¡±
Lumoof looked at his partner for this mission. ¡°How was your stint on Delvegard?¡±
Kafa shrugged. ¡°Nothing much. I am glad to be reassigned to the front lines.¡±
¡°Delvegard is the front lines.¡± Lumoof laughed.
¡°Not for me. It is for the Dwarven Lords, and perhaps alchemist Alka.¡±
¡°A pity. Alka would¡¯ve loved the place. Or hated it because it has too many damned dwarves.¡±
Kafa related with the response, and chuckled along. ¡°I feel that way whenever I¡¯m in Wetport Lapule.¡±
¡°That¡¯s racism against your own kind.¡± The priest teased.
¡°I didn¡¯t say our kind is without flaws.¡± Kafa smiled. There wasn¡¯t much to do in this world except destroying demons, so the two domainholders took the time to catch up and chat. Nothing threatened them. Ten demon champions were nothing before a level 200 avatar. ¡°My people are still changing, and it¡¯ll take a few generations.¡±
The priest understood it keenly. The hearts of the people are often hard to change. He could preach the truth, show the evidence, and some of their hearts would still deny it. The heart believes in what it believes, and it is a primal thing.
It is why the Central Continent¡¯s priests and the Order tried very hard to reach the young children and embed their values as soon as possible. It is something the parents resisted, after all, some of them believed the children should be free to make their own minds. But Lumoof, as an avatar of a rising god, saw it differently.
The truth in the heart of the people needed to fit reality. The beliefs they hold must match the society¡¯s needs and wants. They tried to step in where possible, and it is why orphans were so often roped into their circle of influence.
It¡¯s an area where Lumoof frequently disagreed with Stella, who believed in the independence of mind. Thankfully, Stella was a void mage, and her views did not affect how the Treeology approached the issue of education and shaping society¡¯s cultural zeitgeist.
They had to.
The society needed to be ready to fight wars. The society of Treehome must accept and believe in the cause. The society as a whole must possess the industrial and military capacity to support a war throughout the multiple worlds.
Perhaps someday, Stella¡¯s view of the world could come true. A world where beliefs develop organically.
A wartime government has no choice but to make choices differently, compared to the government of a world with no existential threats. Lumoof believed in it wholeheartedly, and that all of them, even Stella, are wartime leaders.
Of all the races on the three Core worlds, the lizardfolks, treefolks and elves have a very high level of support of the Central government. Dwarves and humans were generally split between Centrists or Order-believers, the noble-royal groups and the guildsmen. Aeon once remarked how ironic that the human groups could be summed up to the stereotypical trio of the priests, the nobles, and the merchants.
¡°Do you think the Delvegard Dwarves will fold obediently, or will it be violent?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°Generally, I expect it to be violent.¡± Kafa countered. The craft-kings of Delvegard won¡¯t give up their supremacy so easily.
¡°Should we just kidnap them and spare the world of Delvegard from an unnecessary war?¡± Lumoof proposed.
Kafa stared back at the priest.
He was unable to answer.
Lumoof could feel the lizard warrior weighing the odds. A war would have tremendous casualties, and in most cases, unnecessary. A kidnapping in the background by a sneaky, hidden group like them would truly enable them to get around and avoid such conflicts, especially if a transfer of power could happen peacefully, or if these craft kings realize where they stand along the true scales of power.
The lizard warrior sighed. ¡°I admit kidnapping the leaders and forcing them to bend the knee may be the wiser choice, but I cannot help but feel extremely uncomfortable with it.¡±
Maybe it was his class. A warrior class did not sit well with such clandestine methods. Their ethos is excellence through combat. But a priest is a type of subversive class. The natural state of the priest-class is to change minds without violence. To convert others.
The avatar patted the lizardman¡¯s shoulder.
¡°It¡¯s hard to make such choices, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Lumoof pointed to the world around them, and then, the portal whirled open before them.
There was nothing else to do on this world, other than to destroy the demon king. With that knowledge, it was time to move on.
¡°Time to go.¡±
***
The Fourth World
The Drakeworld Capra-Terban
Roon, Johann and Ezar arrived in a world and felt the similar presence of demons in the air. The environment around them was filled with rocky spires and deep valleys, and the energy levels in the air seemed to match the shape of the terrain. At the bottom of the valleys were usually fields of dark rocks filled with bugs that survived off the things that fell down or raging rivers.
It was a land meant for flying creatures, and it just so happened that the demons responded with flying demons of their own. They were the type of flying demons also found on Ulara.
¡°Well, we¡¯re bumping into more of these buggers.¡±
¡°Well, fuck. I dislike flyers.¡± Ezar cursed as he immediately sensed the presence of demons in the air. Without Stella around, they have to rely on their movement abilities, but the mountainous terrain was not meant for sprinting. They would be hopping from spire to spire, since their levitation and flight artifacts would not last that long.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The spires were everywhere, as if the earth itself protruded out of the ground like thorns, covered in small vegetation and bushes.
¡°Demon king.¡± Roon frowned, and they spotted the demon king quite a distance away. ¡°Let¡¯s get some distance between us!¡±
The demon king of Terban was a gigantic flying dragon with two large heads, both blasting the terrain with its energy attacks. The three quickly fled the confrontation with the demon king. It wasn¡¯t time yet, not with their lack of knowledge.
As they explored the rest of the mountainous world, the three eventually discovered the natives of the world. The natives were a type of goat-people that rode drakes of their own. These goat people lived along the cliffs and made homes in caves and crevices along the cliff walls. Their society was similar to villages and towns, stuck in the standardized medieval era.
Capra. The Goat People, and they rode the domesticated Drakes. Drakes, or the domesticated variants, were friendly smaller drakes that have grown used to the goat people¡¯s lives.
¡°The more worlds we see, the more I wonder why everyone¡¯s weapons and development seem to be stuck in this particular era.¡± Johann said as he rode his own flying dragon.
His flying dragon was hugely interesting to the Capra. The first sight of Johann, they immediately bowed to him as if he was the next incarnation of their hero.
The heroes of the Capra were legendary drake riders, and the old gods granted the heroes an ability to supercharge their ¡®partner¡¯ drakes, that even allowed those flying drakes to transform into larger dragons, and also strangely, into humanoid forms. For male heroes, apparently the drakes would take on a female form, while the opposite was true.
Roon thought the god¡¯s meddling with the sexes of their partner dragons to be rather disgusting, and even wondered if this was a form of honey trap or honeypot.
The heroes of the Capra world could also take on human forms, on top of their Capran forms.
They landed on what looked to be one of the larger populated cliffs, and immediately noticed the huge magical protections covering the cliff. There was also a massive illusionary magical formation that hid the cliffs from the demons, powered by hero items.
***
¡°So there were no heroes in the last thirty years?¡± Johann, Ezar and Roon stood as they were welcomed to the Capran Cliff Lord¡¯s home. It was a fairly small place, but the lush decorations of the room made it feel much bigger.
¡°No.¡± The Capran Cliff Lord answered. ¡°Our god and benefactor, Hawa, has not responded to our prayers since two decades ago. But we cling faithfully, and continue to pour our prayers into these ancient items left behind by the heroes that came since time immemorial.¡±
Roon heard the updates from Lumoof and Edna. This was a common occurrence for the peripheral worlds. They are peripheral worlds for a reason, and the distance from their protector-gods meant they didn¡¯t get much protection.
At this distance, it must¡¯ve cost too much to inform the Caprans of their doomed fate.
The flying demon-drakes of Capran, the same type as those on Ulara, found Capran to be incredibly suitable and made those same cliffs into the demon nests. The magical energies of Capran seemed to be correlated to the height of the cliffs, the tallest mountains seemed to have stronger leylines, and so the demons were naturally drawn to them. In the same manner, the old Caprans also found these tall mountains to be places where they could grow and breed strong Drakes.
The Caprans thus fought against the demons for control of their strongest cliffs, though that war was mostly lost over the last three decades.
¡°Why didn¡¯t the demon king dig underneath the earth after these thirty years?¡± Johann asked.
The Caprans didn¡¯t know the demon king did that, so they had no answer. But the three domain holders glanced at each other and thought about it.
¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t ready?¡± Roon wondered.
¡°Or is it searching for something?¡±
¡°Or it needs more hero-souls.¡± Ezar countered. ¡°You know, like what¡¯s written and recorded during the Rottedlands incident. The demon king killed the heroes, collected the hero souls, and used it to poison the earth.¡±
Roon and Johann glanced at each other. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the demon king has not killed enough heroes to start digging?¡±
¡°Maybe, if the Core¡¯s resistance is strong enough.¡± Ezar proposed. ¡°There seems to be some kind of resistance from the Core, maybe not super strong, but enough that a demon king won¡¯t attempt a dig to the core until it possesses sufficient kills.¡±
¡°I want to say it doesn¡¯t make sense, but at the same time, maybe there is some variability in the demon king¡¯s range of abilities.¡± Johann frowned.
¡°If that¡¯s true that is a good sign, and may explain why the demons sometimes seem to just wait it out.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s true, it does feel a bit too good to be true.¡±
Ezar countered. ¡°There is probably a limited number of abilities the demons could cram into the normal sized demon kings. Think about it, these demon kings are immensely powerful, and from what we know of the powers of creatures, there has to be a tradeoff somewhere. A combat focused demon king or a corruption focused demon king may not be as well equipped as a demon king designed to ¡®take over¡¯ a core.¡±
¡°It would be a sensible tradeoff to make, too.¡± Johann went along with Ezar¡¯s thought process. ¡°If demon kings could capture hero souls and use their own energies to power the planetary corruption-¡±
¡°It explains why both Adrian and Kelly were not killed but rather captured when we found them back on Mountainworld.¡±
¡°Sorry, may I know what you three are talking about?¡± The Capran Cliff Lord interjected.
¡°Ah, our apologies, we were merely lost in thought.¡± Ezar politely apologized. ¡°We mean no offense.¡±
The Capran Cliff Lord didn¡¯t dare to be offended. Johann¡¯s beautiful dragon was a powerful beast that signified the rider¡¯s immense position. Such a unique beast could only have an equally powerful master. So, he was polite in response. ¡°It is nothing. It must be important if it merits the great master of the beast to think about it so seriously.¡±
***
The three domainholders accepted the hospitality offered by the Caprans, though they found their choice of food mostly unappealing. The Caprans seemed to pride themselves on all different sorts of cultivated grasses, weeds, and plants as delicacies. They did not eat meat at all.
They were pure vegetarians, and Capran cooking was mainly through seasoning the various types of grasses, weeds and plants with sauces derived from fruits. It was odd, but they ate a little anyway, if only not to insult their hosts.
But they did find something amusing. Their drakes were fed on special types of fruit.
¡°Aeon would love this.¡± Roon said as he picked up the strange fruits. They were ¡®meaty¡¯ fruits, they had a tough, stringy texture that looked, felt and tasted like meat. It was as if nature created its own natural plant-based meat. ¡°We should ask for one for the [Biolab].¡±
Johann¡¯s dragon tried one, and seemed to enjoy the taste. He was given seconds. And thirds.
¡°The place that you come front, there is no Drakefruit Tree?¡± The Caprans were very amused, because the Drakefruit¡¯s sole purpose was to feed the Drakes. There were sub variants to the Drakefruits, such as those infused with more magic so that the drakes gained additional magical properties, or those that gave the drakes extra armor, stronger claws and so on, In the good old days, the cliffs¡¯ drake breeders competed on training the best drakes, with the best combination of magical properties.
¡°It would please us if you could give us a small sapling of these Drakefruits.¡± Johann asked, and given his status as a dragon rider, his request was as good as a command. They gave Johann three saplings, each a different subvariant. They would be sent back to Treehome where they would be properly studied,
Johann wanted to ask for some drake eggs, too, but he knew his own dragon seemed fairly possessive and like a jealous pet, would show some attitude.
With nothing else to do in this cliff town, the trio went on their way.
The trio soon visited a few more cliff-towns, and rescued a few of them from champion-class attacks. The Demon King was just roaming about, as if the presence of the natives were nothing. It was puzzling behavior. Why did it not eradicate the natives?
Was it to farm more hero souls?
If so, it would be risky to deploy heroes on worlds where the demon king wanted to find heroes.
***
Landas
Lausanne watched as the rest of the eighth demonic nest was destroyed by the army of beetles. They¡¯ve launched attacks relentlessly, and the mages worked tirelessly to send them from battlefield to battlefield.
Portals were extremely powerful. They invalidated traditional limitations of space and expanded the operating range. For warriors like the Valthorns and their augmented bodies, they could fight as if their stamina was almost limitless.
¡°Six more nests and all that¡¯s left is the demon king.¡± There were still smaller pockets of demonic nests, but with the major nests removed, the frequency of the demonic raids on the surviving cities reduced tremendously.
Yet, the demon king¡¯s behavior on Landas was strange. The demon king ignored the cursed hero.
Lausanne wondered why, perhaps it either concluded that the elven hero was not a threat, and so decided to bury underground. But the data contradicted how certain demon kings on other worlds seemed to wait forever before starting its ¡®dig¡¯.
But their presence brought a huge sense of relief to the five elven races of Landas. Almost all of them were sent to Treehome to meet with Aeon, and when they returned they found a world not at war.
Mostly.
It took another three months, but Lausanne and the rest of them finally crushed all the major demonic nests, and all that was left was the demon king.
The hero still needed time to prepare, but for the rest of Landas, an era of peace had finally come.
The magical interference vanished, and with it, the ancient magical communication networks between the various elven cities could be restored. The surviving elven cities began to reconnect with other nearby settlements.
But fear still permeated the elves¡¯ lives.
Many grew up being told not to venture too far.
It would take some time for this foul memory to fade, but Lausanne felt joy.
It made her happy to see the elves relaxing. A fuzzy feeling when the injured elves didn¡¯t have to rush back to the front line, and were allowed to heal.
She came to help the peripheral worlds heal, and was eager to move to the next one.
¡°Well, where to?¡±
¡°The 5th.¡±
289. Greenfields VI
Magisar, The Fifth Peripheral World
Metteria Hudrot, Gorfort Tower Mage
Metteria Hudrot watched as the magical shields were battered by the attacks from the demons. The fists and arms of the rock demons were strong, but she was a Level 42 Stone Mage, and her shields would hold. This generation of demons had been a good matchup for her, and she gained many, many levels in the numerous skirmishes since then.
¡°Metteria! Duck!¡± Metteria pulled back, her movement was propelled by manipulating the stones embedded within her robe and a fireball barely grazed her hair and slammed into what appeared to be a rock golem.
But at that moment, she thought she saw a man, with short white hair and wearing some kind of greenish robe. The fireball exploded, and Metteria panicked. ¡°Wait! I saw someone!¡±
¡°Saw what?¡± The rock demons came for them, but then, there was not a trace of the man that she saw.
Was she hallucinating?
¡°Pay attention!¡± Metteria¡¯s captain screamed as another fireball slammed into the rock demons, this destroyed the rock demon entirely. ¡°Metteria! Defense!¡±
¡°Got it, got it!¡± Metteria shook her head briefly and her stone shields reappeared. She once again repositioned herself using the stones within her robe. Her [Stone Levitation] allowed her to drag her entire body along as she moved to help her teammates. A few more fireballs, and a few stone bullets and slowly, Metteria and her ten teammates brought down the small squadron of rock demons.
¡°Good job, good job.¡± The Captain said, relieved that none of this team died. Metteria looked back at the battlefield, and she swore that she saw that old man.
She walked into the location where she thought the man was, but found nothing. There was absolutely no trace of the man, as if he was never there.
¡°Something on your mind, Metteria?¡± The captain asked.
¡°I thought I saw a man during the battle. But he vanished just as quickly.¡±
The Captain walked closer to her, and then grabbed her hand. ¡°That sounds like mana exhaustion. But no sign of mana exhaustion.¡±
¡°Was I the only one that saw the man?¡± Metteria glanced around. No one else did. The only reason she saw it was it was exactly in front of her, but he vanished just as quickly. Where did he come from?
No one answered her. The Captain frowned. ¡°Metteria, report back to the infirmary and have yourself subjected to tests by the life mage.¡±
She wanted to protest, but then she knew how this all looked like. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±
***
Lumoof
Lumoof landed on the fifth world and immediately had a fireball slam into his shield. It wasn¡¯t intentional, because the fireball hit the edges of the shield. There were demons everywhere, and there were strange mages fighting against them. The demons around Lumoof were gigantic rocky creatures made of a kind of sandstone rock.
The demonic golems of brimstone and fire attempted to punch something in Lumoof¡¯s direction, but he vanished before they got him.
¡°Stella, can you avoid live battlefields when opening portals?¡± Lumoof complained through their linked messaging system once he got out of his short-distance teleportation and landed a good distance away in what seemed to be a large valley filled with demons, and a group of mages defending against them. The defenders were humans, but they all seemed pale. Lumoof briefly wondered if they were malnourished, but his senses soon realized this was their natural state.
The humans, for once, were not exactly helpless. They all seemed like a decently experienced group of combatants and they hurled magic freely. Magical fireballs and blasts of energy slammed into the demonic golems, and the explosions ripped the golem demons apart. The group of skinny humans huddled together.
Lumoof watched as they shredded the last of the golem demons, and then checked their surroundings for more enemies.
Lumoof¡¯s presence was shrouded in enough protective items and illusions that he was fairly certain they didn¡¯t see him.
Kafa popped out of the portal a few minutes later. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late- Did I miss something?¡±
Thankfully, he was also protected by his protections that most likely would not have noticed him.
***
Lumoof and Kafa continued to follow the group of mages back that eventually led to a steep mountain. At the peak of that mountain was a magical structure that floated above the skies, a magical creation.
The mountain wasn¡¯t totally bare. It was filled with some small trees and vegetation, though Lumoof immediately noticed the encroaching presence of demonic hybrids in small patches all over the place.
He would have to investigate that later, and get a better read on the world¡¯s state. But for now, he directed his attention towards the floating structure, a city suspended midair by magic.
¡°That is quite impressive.¡± Lumoof said. He activated his spiritual sight and immediately noticed the presence of magical energies from the ground below. There was a faint taste of the hero¡¯s presence in the magical structures beneath the floating castle, and multiple magical protections. ¡°Seems like they used ley lines to power a levitation formation, and kept their city protected from the demons.¡±
Ley lines that were fading.
The group of magicians regrouped somewhere near the bottom of the castle, and then Lumoof heard them curse.
¡°What¡¯s taking them so long to activate the teleportation formation?¡± One of the humans that appeared to be the leader of the group began to talk.
One of the other mages then teased. ¡°Probably one of the mages sleeping on the job.¡±
¡°Really? I¡¯ll give that guy a good sounding once I get back-¡±
Lumoof looked at Kafa, and then back at the flying castle. ¡°Think we can get in?¡±
Kafa shrugged, but knew it was a rhetorical question. The real question wasn¡¯t whether they could, but which method would serve their interest best. So, Kafa responded with a silly question of his own. ¡°Do you want to jump in, or do you want me to throw you in?¡±
Lumoof laughed, and then pointed. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch. They are not the only group.¡± Lumoof said as he felt the presence of more people through the plants and trees around them. ¡°I sense more people coming here.¡±
Kafa turned around and tried to focus his own senses ¡°That plant-sense of yours is overpowered as hell.¡±
¡°You can be a tree man if you want.¡± Lumoof smiled. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly nice to have Aeon right next to me all the time.¡±
Kafa shook his head in horror. ¡°I¡¯ll take that back.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s see what these guys are up to.¡±
There were six other small groups, all mages just like the first group. They felt like mages, because of how their mana poured out of their spirit, and the spiritual lines that facilitated magic use were most pronounced. A common feature when mana use was high, and something Lumoof seen often in their own mages and wizards.
¡°Still waiting for the teleport?¡± The other groups arrived and quickly asked. They were all slender looking mages, and all wore some kind uniform, made of knitted leather and wool.
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s taking a damn while.¡±
¡°Are the charge crystals malfunctioning again?¡± One of the other mages from the 3rd party asked.
¡°How¡¯d I know? But that would explain why we¡¯re stuck here.¡±
¡°Glad to see you guys all in one piece.¡± The mage-leader from the very first party smiled.
¡°Eh. Just usual rock demons, we¡¯d live.¡±
A fourth party returned, and Lumoof noticed this party carrying far more things. He continued to observe their interactions. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Our usual forage run is interrupted by rock demons, and one of my guys is an idiot.¡± The 4th party leader explained. There was a corpse. ¡°He¡¯s dead, but we hauled his body back for his family.¡±
The rest sighed. ¡°Young ones should know better than to charge into a party of demons.¡±
Lumoof watched and he felt it. The thread of magic in the air was something he could sense innately, and so, he activated his invisibility, and walked closer to the group.
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The teleportation formation activated, and the group all vanished, pulled into the floating fortress above the mountain.
***
Metteria
¡°You¡¯re fine. Eyes appear normal, and there¡¯s no unusual mana presence along your mind or your spirit.¡± The healer said. Healer, Life mage. The distinction hardly existed in the Gorfort Tower.
The rest of her team was already in the barracks dropping off their harvest for the day.
¡°I am?¡± Metteria muttered, but a second later she realized how ridiculous it all sounded. ¡°Of course. Of course I am fine.¡±
The healer and life mage promptly discharged her, and Metteria decided it was time to go visit her own master. Her master¡¯s tower wasn¡¯t far from the place, so she stepped out of the infirmary and into the streets of Gorfort Tower¡¯s 4th floor.
She glanced around, her feet sensed the vibrations of the stone used around Gorfort Tower, and noticed-
¡°Am I being followed?¡±
It can¡¯t be. She looked again and there¡¯s nothing there. Her stone sense was a strange skill, but it saved her life a few times. But why? Who would follow her?
She walked anyway and went into her master¡¯s research tower. It was a small, cramped space. Space was very expensive in all the safe havens of Magisar.
¡°Did you manage to find what I asked?¡± An older voice said once Metteria stepped into the third floor of the tiny tower. It belonged to a small, petite woman with not much muscles. Her appearance was tired, wrinkles were all over her body.
¡°-yes. I did.¡± Metteria checked her pouch and took out a piece of rock with stripes. ¡°The vein remains untouched for now.¡±
The older woman frowned as she also picked up the same rock, and then she began to examine it with a strange copper-colored contraption. ¡°This is no good.¡°
¡°No good? It looks fine to me.¡± Metteria didn¡¯t want to believe it.
¡°Stupid disciple. Come closer. Look at the stripes. It¡¯s starting to show dark-reddish spots.¡±
Metteria¡¯s face was one of horror once she too noticed the presence of the tiny spots in the stripes, made visible through the copper contraption. ¡°The demons¡¯ magic is seeping into our usual mineral veins. The Tower Masters must-¡±
¡°They know.¡±
Metteria was about to protest but then she stopped. ¡°What? They know?¡±
¡°They know, disciple. They¡¯re just trying to figure out how bad it is and what can be done. They are not fools, despite all the arrogance they portray around the rest of you.¡±
The younger mage frowned. ¡°-how much time do we have?¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I sent you.¡± The older woman pulled down a paper map suspended off a ceiling. The map was one of the wider surroundings, with the tower in the center. Around the tower were marked locations, each with a date.
She snapped a finger and a wooden five stepped ladder came over, and she climbed up to the map. She began to write dates, and then, with a wooden abacus, began to calculate. It was a relatively simple mathematical extrapolation based on the distance and dates of corruption based on the last corrupted vein and the newest corruption vein, and the extrapolated to their current location.
¡°Think we have somewhere around seventeen to twenty five years before the ley lines underneath Gorfort experience the demonic taint.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a lot of time.¡± Metteria countered.
¡°Not much, but not little either.¡± The old woman sat down, and then took out another copper bowl. She placed the rock into the copper bowl and then set it down. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go see Ol¡¯ Junker and see whether he¡¯s got a different data set.¡±
Metteria stared at the old woman. ¡°He¡¯s also looking into this?¡±
¡°Of course he is. You think he spends his time flirting with his two beautiful disciples? No! He works them like hell!¡±
Metteria chuckled lightly. ¡°Do you need me to go with you, master?¡±
¡°Come. Magister Junker would spill a lot more secrets if you are around. He¡¯s not interested in old hags like me anymore.¡±
The younger disciple watched as her master climbed down the stairs. It still made her marvel every time she saw her move about as if she was still a spry young woman.
The two of them moved down, but then Metteria paused and looked back. She thought she saw one of the books on the floor move. The vibrations on the rock and wooden floor seemed strange, as if there was someone else in the room with them.
Invisibility was impossible. Metteria was not aware of such magic. She looked around, tried to feel for the presence of magic, but the entire place was filled with so many little magical trinkets that it was hard to be sure.
She turned back, and followed her master out of the door.
The alleys and streets of Gorfort were all tiny. Space was expensive in a ¡®safe haven¡¯ like Gorfort, and every inch mattered. It was someone¡¯s home. An extra few bits of space could fit a shelf, or a cabinet, or even a tiny bed for their skinny bodies. They were not fat. Not at all.
***
Lumoof
Lumoof and Kafa looked around and immediately felt it was hard to move about. The entire place was so tiny that they were bound to bump into things. The humans of this world were skinny, thin. Not a single one of them had bulky muscles, and instead, they all seemed more attuned to magic.
The entire structure was a series of floors, built on top of one another. Each layer was largely self sufficient, and movement between the layers were regulated by the guards and mages that controlled the tower. It wasn¡¯t hard for Lumoof to notice that those located in the middle were all the unwanted, lower class people, while those who had some skills and talents were located along the sides of the floating castle, where there¡¯s sunlight and some fresh air.
They followed the two mages through the small streets, trying their best to dodge where they could, and eventually, they passed through what was an actual, really crowded market. There were not actually that many people, they passed through the tiny stalls, packed with all the goods they tried to sell.
Kafa looked at the stalls. It was separated into segments, and labeled with signs. Equipment. Tools. And Food.
¡°They use a lot of wood, gems and copper for tools.¡± Kafa spoke telepathically as they observed the crowd. The two mages were still walking up ahead.
¡°Do they not have mines?¡± Lumoof wondered as they then passed the tools and equipment section. It was so cramped that it was just a few steps away, and they reached the food section. There were only three stalls, one with vegetables, another with baked breads, and another with fruits.
¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to eat here.¡± Kafa said as a joke. ¡°Seems like a good place for the non-meat eaters though.¡±
Lumoof felt like a candle lit up in his mind. ¡°Is their skinny build due to a lack of meat?¡±
Kafa shrugged. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s worth exploring. Let¡¯s follow these two. They seem to be talking about important stuff.¡±
***
Metteria
¡°Ol Junker!¡± Her master shouted as she pushed the wooden door open and stepped into a small workshop on one of the corners of Gorfort Tower¡¯s many, many floors. The old man inside was tinkering with some contraption while his two female assistants were also trying to replicate his contraption.
Her voice shocked all three of them, and the old man immediately looked up. ¡°What brings the grumpy old Kerifa to my workshop? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to teach these two girls how to tune a magical seeker¡¯s compass?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a stupid thing to learn in this time and age! I got my latest data on the taint. I want to compare notes.¡± Her master, Kerifa Gundhert shouted. Metteria wasn¡¯t sure when her master wrote the scroll in her hands, but somehow she did.
¡°First, no magic is stupid.¡± Junker Quartz, one of the leading bronzemages, immediately glared at Kerifa hatefully. ¡°Second, if you are here to depress me, I¡¯ll kick you out.¡±
¡°It¡¯s depressing all right.¡± Kerifa said. ¡°Do you want to know or not? Or should I take it to the older farts upstairs?¡±
¡°Fine. Disciples. Let¡¯s head upstairs and see what this ol woman has for us.¡± The two girls bowed
***
Above the workshop was a relatively airy room, with a view of the skies. The corner units of the Gorfort Tower were highly prized, and it was only with Junker Quartz¡¯s stellar record as a master bronzemage that he won the right to use them.
On one set of walls were three empty boards. Kerifa tapped her scroll and the scroll¡¯s contents were transferred to one of the magical boards.
Junker stared at it, and looked at his two disciples. ¡°Bring our set of reports.¡± One of the girls nodded, ran down and back up again in a minute and he tapped the scroll.
Kerifa frowned. ¡°Looks like yours is more optimistic.¡±
¡°Our samples were collected-¡± One of the girls ran to the board and pointed. ¡°There.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know which of the taint would reach us first.¡±
¡°Our usual copper mines would be under threat and farms would be under threat.¡±
¡°The Tower Masters should be calling for a culling of the demonic vegetation.¡± Kerifa said.
Junker shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would work. Ninefort tried that with their surroundings, and their ley lines were still corrupted.¡±
Kerifa frowned. ¡°Is that supposed to be a secret?¡±
¡°Yes. But I¡¯m telling you anyway. Are you going to report me?¡±
¡°No. So it won¡¯t. What¡¯s our solution?¡±
Junker looked at the map, took a deep breath, and then said. ¡°Energy filtration. We need to purify the demonic taint so that we can continue to use the energy. Our entire existence depends on it.¡±
This made both Metteria and Kerifa glare at the old man suspiciously. ¡°Use of demonic mana from harvested demonic trees has caused mutations. Do you have a workaround?¡±
¡°-no.¡±
***
Lumoof and Kafa listened in the room, and the rest of the conversation shifted to politics. At that point, the two retreated to a quiet area, and looked at each other.
¡°Our goal is to fully survey all fifteen worlds before we decide how to and what to deploy.¡± Kafa repeated. ¡°But I cannot help but feel we should help all of them. All of these worlds are in trouble in one way or form.¡±
The very reason Hawa asked for assistance was simply because these worlds were in trouble.
¡°Fifteen worlds. Even if one of us is in each of these peripheral worlds, and Aeon leaves a clone on the rest, that still leaves us four short.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°And Aeon will not risk all the clones.¡±
¡°We have node trees.¡±
¡°Or if we select one of the options you are given.¡± Kafa said.
¡°That should help. But look beyond their immediate troubles, and think beyond it. Aeon¡¯s goal is to bring these worlds into our wider campaign. Which of these worlds will contribute the most to our war effort? Which of these worlds will be strategically useful, and contribute to our war.¡±
Kafa looked away and sighed. ¡°I wish we could just help them all.¡±
¡°We will help them all. But there is a choice for us to make, beyond the immediate assistance. A question of permanence. A question of adding strength to our whole. Which of these worlds is worth an investment? Which of these worlds can be made into a Core world?¡±
¡°Landas has it easy. They have a node.¡±
¡°A node doesn¡¯t mean we will invest our resources there. The Valthorn¡¯s ability to invest on a planetary scale is limited. Even now we can only fully occupy one world at a time.¡±
Just the mere act of controlling the human kingdoms on Threeworlds took a significant amount of Valthorn personnel. Rebuilding Tropicsworld still continued to require a significant amount of imported resources.
¡°The choice we make adds to our overall resources.¡± Lumoof said, as he recalled how Aeon once described the problem as an optimisation issue. Clones were limited, but clones bestowed benefits on their host worlds.
The various auras of Aeon enhanced their citizens¡¯ health, development, productivity and even made them level up faster. Each of these worlds would benefit from Aeon¡¯s aura, but which one would benefit the most?
Lumoof looked back at the Gorfort Tower. They¡¯ve visited five worlds. There were ten more to go.
290. Greenfields VII
290
Sixth World - The Great Steppes
Edna and Stella landed together on a field. Vast, and the fields of green and gold seemed to go on forever, over the rolling hills to the horizon.
¡°This is quite the view.¡± Stella smiled, and stretched. It reminded her of the farmlands back home, or the great open plains where horses and wild bulls used to roam. She took in the air. It was windy. The grass was colorful, and on closer observation, it is as if someone made a field of grass and added a palette of colors just for variety. There were spots of red, pink, and even purple grasses. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I dislike this.¡±
They were likely slightly magical, but at this point, all the void holder wanted to do was take the view in and appreciate a rare moment of peace. The wind blew, and the blades of grass rustled. It was pleasant.
Edna tapped the woman on her shoulder. ¡°A nice welcome, and I believe this world has potential to be a tourist spot some day.¡±
Stella shook her head, she probably imagined beetlebuses of tourists, shuffled from viewing point to viewing point. ¡°The tourists would probably ruin it.¡±
Edna laughed. Stella once warned extensively on the problems of overtourism, though none of her fears actually played out in the Central Continent. For now, tourism remained largely the realm of the wealthy, and even though middle income folks could afford to travel regionally, it was still not in large enough numbers that places experienced overtourism.
It helped Aeon¡¯s natural energies meant damage to nature was fairly easy to mend. It didn¡¯t take hundreds of years to restore a damaged forest.
¡°Well, let¡¯s look for the natives, and find out what kind of demons plague this world.¡±
They found a group of traveling centaurs a relatively large distance away.
***
¡°Greetings.¡± Both Edna and Stella arrived and the centaurs immediately kneeled once they arrived in front of them.
¡°Oh the holy ones blessed us! The two-legged heroes have arrived!¡± Stella from a few decades ago would have blushed, but she was now quite comfortable in her position of authority that she didn¡¯t flinch. Up close, they noticed the sheen of natural armor around the centaurs chest, as if they were some blend of a suit of armor and a horse, rather than the usual centaur form of a man and a horse.
Edna and Stella looked at each other and regretted their approach. Stella pinged Edna through magic. ¡°Did we just fuck it up?¡±
¡°I think we did. We should know better. Remind me to use invisibility and spy on the natives before we even attempt to talk to them. I suppose we should exploit this opportunity to learn what we can. After all, if they think we are heroes, we should be able to get information.¡±
Edna nodded at the centaurs. ¡°Hello. Can you tell us about this world?¡±
The centaurs rose from their awkward kneeling position. Centaurs were not really designed for kneeling, their four legs more suited for running. ¡°Certainly, blessed ones. We will guide you to the nearest encampment.¡±
***
The world was known as the Great Steppes, and is a land filled with mostly rolling hills and vast grasslands. The Great Steppes didn¡¯t have much vegetation beyond bushes and grasses, and large trees were almost altogether non-existent.
Still, Great Steppes was mainly populated by two types of ¡®centaurs¡¯, that are so different that they might as well be entirely different races. One was the Armored Centaurs, and they are referred to as the Armataurs. These were centaurs with naturally built armor and helmets. Their bodies somehow ¡®created¡¯ hard plates over their chest, arms, shoulders, and body,.
The other centaur race are the Lancias. They are centaurs, but with natural weapons and retractable spears, lances and spikes throughout their body. Despite an ancient tradition where both of the two centaur races lived apart, the two centaurian races were generally cordial with each other, and frequently cooperated with each other for special occasions.
The Armataurs worshiped Hawa, while the Lancias worshiped a god called Zulfa.
The demons were the usual fire breathing demons wielding a flaming weapon of some kind, and their elites were a variant of the demon knights. The demon king were slain about eleven years ago, and the previous hero died with it. The new demon king just arrived not long ago, and seemed to be waiting for the hero¡¯s arrival.
It was a world that seemed relatively stable now. In the vast grasslands and shrublands of the Great Steppes, there were now areas that were regularly known as the Demonic Highlands.
For Edna and Stella, the contact went fairly standard. The two centaurian subspecies waited for the blessed ones, and the blessed ones would slay the demon king.
With enough data collected, it was time to get moving.
***
Aeon
Roon, Johann and Ezar returned home briefly, and then they were off again to visit the Seventh World. In the meantime, I was given their collected samples from the world of Capra.
¡°Drakefruit.¡± The plants went into my biolabs, and I immediately unlocked the ability to replicate the drakefruits at scale. I noticed that they were also surprisingly compatible with my existing class seeds and skill seeds, and in short, it would be possible to fuse the drakefruit with my skill seeds and class seeds, to create skill fruits for drakes.
This was a fascinating thing, and I didn¡¯t know why it never occurred to me to create powerful skills for various pets and mounts.
I watched, and from my central vantage point, Landas had mostly stabilized.
Landas was the first world where I truly tested what were the limits of the Node Tree.
My node tree didn¡¯t have my aura, and although I could still spawn subsidiary trees through my node trees, trees that were linked through my node trees did not share my higher tier abilities.
So, node trees had some constraints. One, I couldn¡¯t use my giant attendant trees through them.
Everything that was connected through the Node Tree was restricted. I could see through them, but only at a basic level, not my full breath of spiritual sight. Even my listening and observational abilities were severely limited. The mana output and extraction at each of these worlds were also a fraction of my tree.
Node trees also didn¡¯t share any of my auras, and the subsidiary trees of Landas were the ¡®basic¡¯ version. This meant the number of beetles they could host per subsidiary tree was three beetles per subsidiary tree, and the beetles were inferior to those spawned by subsidiary trees linked through my clones or main body.
Still, the teleportation ability of the Node Tree meant it was possible to ¡®send¡¯ my titans like Hytreerion to Landas.
Stella, while traveling through Landas and then later to the Sarlpi, began hammering on the need to use my titans, especially given my new expanded limits.
I could deploy up to ten additional titans, and each of these Titans would be a strong supporting force in any of these peripheral worlds, or even Delvegard.
Or I could use them to augment my resource restrictions back home.
In many ways, my high level 100s were a ¡®limited¡¯ resource. Especially when distributed over the planned 15 worlds. So, they needed a force multiplier, and titans should be that sort of force multiplier.
¡°Let¡¯s see what sort of Titan choices I have now.¡± With my clone¡¯s new ability to support titans, I could now support up to 15 titans, and a total of 13 additional. I currently have 2 active titans in service. Hytreerion and Patreeck¡¯s presence in Threeworlds was likely to be unnecessary soon, and I would like to redeploy him to one of the other worlds soon.
So as my domain holders gathered data on the peripheral worlds, I began to consider the tools I had at our disposal to enhance my Valthorn¡¯s performance in these peripheral worlds.
Ever since my [Greater Titans] upgrade, my choices changed. They started with a base power level of about Level 125, a decent increase from their prior level 70 to 90 power levels.
[The Great Storm Bird- A greater storm titan that takes the form of a flying thunderbird, and has the ability to summon up to 3,000 flying eagles of relatively strong combat power. Has shared vision and senses, and many lesser abilities.]
[Carapace Demonhunter Worm - A greater variant of the depth worm, with immense earth abilities and very high resistance to demonic damage. Has the ability to summon 2,000 worms with similar resistances and abilities. Can significantly improve ground fertility and plant yields, and also undo demonic corruption for earth]
[The Greater Leveling Dungeon - Dungeon with higher levels and more rewards. Will cause it¡¯s surroundings to be tainted by pollution and magical miasma, and the spawn rate of high level monsters outside of the dungeon¡¯s vicinity will be significantly increased. Certain blessings and auras will be nullified in the Greater Leveling Dungeon¡¯s presence, but experience gain will be significantly increased. Skills gained below Level 149 will likely be of a stronger variant.]
[Fusion with any Court of the Deitree - The Treant King. Significantly improve the host''s abilities and endurance. Host will no longer age, and will be immune to non-divine sickness and poisons. Host will also now enjoy [domain]-level mental protections, and will be able to resist divine laws. Also grants the ability to summon and control up to 300 treants.]
[Gantreethor Beetle Carrier - A flying beetle commander transformed into a Greater Titan. Each Gantreethor functions as a mobile command center for beetles, allowing all beetles to operate significantly further from an existing subsidiary tree. Each Gantreethor also carries within it¡¯s spatial body an army of 8,000 greater beetles. Each greater beetle is around level 30 to 35, and possesses flight abilities. Each Gantreethor can also self-destruct to deal explosive damage]
[The Void Treant - Fusion with a familiar granted to a void-attuned treefolk - A treant meant to thrive in the void layers. Resistant to void turbulence and can move about. Can use void mana, use void magic and also open void portals.]
[Fusion with Treechikomas - The Gigantic Spidertree - A Giant Walking Laboratory and Hospital with the ability to deploy smaller about 1,000 treechikomas, treants and beetles. Provides a strong mobile blessing aura and healing presence to restore friendly parties. Living beings in it¡¯s presence will not grow hungry or thirsty.]
[Fusion with hamadryad body (only one available) - The Primordial Elemental - A significantly powerful dryad mage specializing in elemental spells of around Level 140. Can regenerate even after destruction, and is able to summon 500 fire, water or earth elementals.]
[Fusion with Underground Living Crystal Labs - The Primordial Foundry - A tree that attached itself to a ley line and converts magical energy into crystals or metals. Produces a large quantity of crystals or metals based on a system-defined ratio.]
¡°That¡¯s a fairly good selection.¡± Lumoof commented while he was elsewhere. A world away, but we were always together. That was life as an avatar. ¡°But I think what you need is utility in these peripheral worlds. The ability to provide low level suppressing force while the Valthorns deal with any stronger threats.¡±
¡°We could pick one of each and send them-¡± Edna commented, also in a different world. ¡°But I suppose there is a matching problem, since not all titans are designed for each of the worlds.¡±
But I thought about the titans as a second-best choice, for worlds without my clone. I have three clones, one on cooldown after I used one on Hawa¡¯s world of Satrya, but ultimately I was only prepared to deploy two clones.
I¡¯d like to keep one, or perhaps two in reserve, if we do stumble on more worlds.
The peripheral worlds are not the only worlds. Beyond these fifteen worlds there will be many more worlds that need our help, and so, to artificially limit my choices to these fifteen worlds because of Hawa¡¯s request would be silly.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
I did not make a choice. Not yet. I thought it¡¯d be fairer to optimize once the domain holders came back with the detailed reports. There were still a few more worlds to go.
***
The Fifth World, Magisar
¡°Eighteen surviving magical academies, all conveniently located in levitating cities.¡± Lumoof said as he surveyed the documents stolen from one of the mages. Unlike the mages of Magisar who did not stray far from their homes, Lumoof and Kafa found the world no threat at all, and so they camped in the wilderness, in a cocoon of roots.
Despite the initially impressive veneer of the levitating cities, what they saw did not impress them. The levitating cities of Magisar were pretty much something copied out of a despotic magical universe, with the tower masters ruling as oppressive kings, while the lower classes were all just nothing more than flesh that was thrown away once they were not useful.
Because the tower masters controlled the levitating cities, everyone else were pretty much at their mercy.
There were a few fortresses on land that were made by those who didn¡¯t want to endure the Tower Master¡¯s oppression, but these fortresses did not have better living conditions. In fact, because of the lack of generational resources and legacy magical items, these fortresses are often at a subsistence level, and their rulers are also pretty much dictatorial, if for no reason beyond maintaining order.
It is hard to be happy and well behaved when everyone is perpetually underfed and in a terrible living environment.
¡°I must say this doesn¡¯t seem to be the worst world.¡± Kafa said. ¡°They still have functional governments, even if it¡¯s teetering on collapse.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Lumoof asked. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought this is one of the worst ones.¡±
¡°Worst than Landas that is holed up in their artifact cities with much smaller populations?¡± Kafa countered. ¡°Or the world of Sarlpi where almost nine out of ten lavapeople have died? Or the deadworld with no one left?¡±
Lumoof looked back at the map. ¡°Well, I suppose on a sheer numerical survivor basis- this is pretty decent.¡±
¡°It is.¡± Kafa repeated. ¡°I would rank this in a similar capacity to the world of Capra-Terban.¡±
¡°Would you save them?¡±
¡°Yes. That doesn¡¯t need to be asked.¡± Kafa said. ¡°It is our duty.¡±
Lumoof chuckled at the term ¡®duty¡¯. Some of them viewed helping these worlds as a duty of those with strength. As wardens, we were here to reset the damage caused by an extraordinary force. Something outside of the normal nature of these worlds.
Should a warden also engage in repopulation? Ecosystem restoration? Is there a line between restoration, and meddling with natural selection? It was a thought I entertained briefly. It¡¯s a dangerous loop to go down, and I decided to prioritize life. Save lives, and deal with balancing issues later.
It was a good thing to do, politically. It enhanced our reputation, it gave reason and purpose to maintain a large Valthorn army and infrastructure, and the Valthorns often truly believed in it.
Only Lumoof felt my own inner conflict, with the duty of safeguarding the world¡¯s natural state, and whether we would go too far, and believe in ourselves as ¡®saviors¡¯. A ¡®savior¡¯ complex would be troublesome, and that made me uncomfortable.
Then, Lumoof looked at Kafa. ¡°From what you¡¯ve seen of the mage-societies, would you want to bring them into the fold?¡±
That was a tough one. I didn¡¯t have the answer for it either. A magically proficient species would be a great help to offset our magical needs, but we would have to significantly usurp the ruling mages in order to gain access to the talent we need.
¡°I would rank them the best of the worlds we¡¯ve seen so far, in terms of potential contribution to the coming days.¡± Kafa said.
Lumoof smiled. ¡°Fair. But let¡¯s keep it aside, because it¡¯s time to go. We have more worlds to see. Let¡¯s leave the demons for now, we¡¯ll leave it to the Valthorns to come in and sweep.¡±
The demon king of Magisar appeared to be some kind of demonic golem, and even now, more demons appeared through the demonic rifts overhead. One of the key problems faced by Magisar was the demonic corruption. The demon champions of this world were similar to the corrupting demons of Sabnoc. They were gigantic demonic walkers that planted themselves near sources of magic such as leylines, and then used that demonic energy to spawn more demonic golems.
In the process of doing so, they corrupt their environment and also cause the demon¡¯s energies to spread into the world around them. This created the demonic hybrids that we saw across the terrain, and incredibly, the demonic hybrids themselves carried demonic spores that spread even more demonic corruption.
What we learned of the demon¡¯s methods did not really surprise it. It was just some variation of existing demon tactics, and should be fairly easy to deal with.
***
We later deployed a small batch of Valthorns on Magisar, mainly to support the information gathering once Lumoof and Kafa ensured that there was minimal divine-level meddling, and my Valthorns began scouring the terrain looking for refugees and those not living in the giant towers.
There were more than we expected. We rescued a few groups of small refugees fleeing their land based encampments, and it explained most of their unusual behavior
One, they did not have iron tools or hard metals in large quantities. Instead, all their people primarily used variants of some kind of copper or tin element, or in the more powerful mages, gold or silver.
Iron was truly a rarity, and it reflected in the nature of the humans themselves. They resemble humans in many ways, but their blood is made of a different elemental metal altogether. Unlike our knowledge of humans that had iron in our blood, the humans of Magisar instead had something else that we have not encountered in the rest of the peripheral worlds.
A quasi-iron, and it was something I would like to examine in greater detail. It was likely Magisar humans could not interbreed with regular humans due to blood-incompatibility.
The blood samples and biological samples we collected through aiding some of the refugees suggested that this elemental difference in their blood resulted in Magisarian Humans being biased to magic, as their bodies did not ¡®bulk¡¯ and did not gain much muscle.
Overall, we did have a relatively high rating for the world of Magisar, but we needed more time to shape the form of our contact. We have not yet decided on how to engage with these magical towers, whether we would take over, or whether we would be a little more diplomatic. Outside of the natural magical talents of the natives, the world itself was of no use, and I wondered whether we could offer a choice to the locals, and then relocate the natives to a safer world, once we verified that their physique could survive on otherworld foods.
A massive breeding program could offset our challenges in training wizards and mages.
With a high level understanding of the world of Magisar, it was time to move to the next world.
***
Seventh World
¡°Now this is something.¡± Lumoof sat as he watched the winds blow from top to bottom, and there was no horizon. Instead. The horizon curved upwards, as if the world was looped. ¡°Another ringworld, but not one of the demons.¡±
¡°Mayhaps the inspiration source of the demon¡¯s Sun-Rings?¡± Kafa looked in another direction, and then up into the sky to see two gigantic rings that rotated around the sun. That ment there were a total of three rings, and they were on the outermost ring. ¡°There seems to be multiple rings.¡±
Lumoof nodded, and noticed this world was physically quite big. ¡°I do wonder, where is the ¡®Core¡¯ of a ringworld?¡±
¡°Core?¡± Kafa laughed and pointed into the skies. The layered rings around the surprisingly small sun seemed strange. ¡°Maybe that moon? That¡¯s the only thing that resembles a core from this distance.¡±
The avatar shrugged as his eyes traced the demonic rifts above them. Strangely enough, this world had two active demonic rift paths. Kafa couldn¡¯t see it, but the news made Stella curious, and so both Stella and Edna left the Great Steppes to join them in the Layered Ringworlds.
There were three rings surrounding their small sun, and the innermost ring was the smallest and thinnest. The middle ring was a bit wider, while the furthest ring was the widest. Closest to the sun was a strange glowing purple moon that overlooked all of the three rings.
The three rings orbited around the sun like the three axes of a gyroscope, each moving in its own direction.
The demonic rift paths through the void sea were then each connected to outermost and middle layers.
¡°Well, we have evidence 101 that the demons can actually attack with two demon kings at the same time.¡± Stella said as she studied the demonic rifts. ¡°There¡¯s no actual rule against it, merely a convenience from the way the demons arrange their attack pattern.¡±
¡°Two demon kings doesn¡¯t mean we have to face both of them together.¡± Edna shrugged. ¡°Some operational difficulties, but if the two don¡¯t stick together, it isn¡¯t that different.¡±
¡°Agreed, but it does lend credence to Hawa¡¯s claim that the demons have measures we don¡¯t see yet.¡±
Lumoof then looked around. ¡°Maybe we should ask Hawa about this world. Make use of that artifact he gave us.¡±
¡°First, we should find the natives?¡± Stella countered. So far in the few days they were busy studying the magical energies of the world that they have not located any natives.
It was not hard to find them once the four started to look. They were hibernating humans living in underground caves, and it seemed the world experienced what was called, the regular weeks of ¡®darkness¡¯.
There was no concept of a day-night cycle in this world, because the sun was always overhead in a ringworld. Instead, they had a period when the sun dimmed significantly, for two weeks at a stretch.
The ¡®purple darkness¡¯.
The domainholders were on the surface when the darkness happened. The sun abruptly transformed and changed color. As if the bright yellow sun itself was turned into a dim, dark blue sun.
The light vanished. The sun in the sky was still there, but was difficult to see with regular sight, because now the dominant object was the purple moon. Everything turned purple, and then the monsters appeared.
They were no threat.
But the monsters were powerful. Level 60 to 80 monsters, seemingly empowered by the purple moon.
It was this world¡¯s natural defenses, and the domain holders saw these monsters slaying the demonic beasts as well. Only the demon champions could hold
¡°Huh.¡± Lumoof realized. ¡°Who do they need heroes if the native beasts are so powerful?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s ask the natives.¡±
***
The native humans were few, but they created entire societies underground. Their underground tunnels were fortifications, layers of layers of walls, and none of them wanted to be outside during the Purple Darkness. They were very good at constructing defenses, simply because the monsters were all really powerful, and so they concentrated their resources on building multiple layers of walls.
The domain holders continued to spy on the natives for a bit, using invisibility to sneak through their defenses and into their underground societies.
There, we saw the natives living fairly decent lives. They grew crops under the glow of unique light emitting metals, and we watched their society operate.
There were two main activities for their society, the Wall Builders, and the Planters. The Wall Builders were just the overarching title given to those who constructed their fortifications, and structures. They dug new rooms underground. There were a subgroup, called the venturers, that traveled along the surface to find new places to build a home.
Each of these labyrinthian homes were called a ¡®Chamber.¡¯ This one was called the White Ringed Chamber. Each of these chambers could be home to 5,000 to 20,000 people, and throughout the Three Rings, there were at least thousands of these chambers.
Each of the rings, in terms of actual surface area, was likely much, much bigger than the surface area of the Threeworlds or Treehome.
In some ways, these three rings potentially had the highest population potential. If the threat of the Purple Darkness was nullified, and the demons solved, each of these three rings could house 10 billion, maybe even 20 billion for the outer rings due to the sheer size of the surface area.
So, after two to three weeks of observation, we finally made the move to contact the natives.The humans were surprised to see us, but ultimately they were all very welcoming of guests.
Because in this world, all humans fought against the demons and the monsters outside. The surface of the ringworlds was a dangerous place at the wrong place and the wrong time, and the odds of surviving in the Purple Darkness was thoroughly low.
So, the world developed a norm to house guests in their outer rooms. For venturers who ventured too far. For harvesters and herbal collectors that lost their way.
¡°You come from the world of the heroes? Those summoned by the Three Ringed God¡¯s will?¡± Lumoof, Kafa, Stella and Edna stood as they approached one of these native fortifications. They only exited their fortifications once the Purple Darkness came to an end.
Still, as a wary kind, they created special holding zones near the entrances of their underground societies. Their fortifications were similar to the lairs of an evil mastermind, and comprised layers and layers of doors, each fortified to keep unwanted people out.
¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder how this society even developed.¡± Kafa said, as the humans escorted Lumoof and Kafa to their guest zones. ¡°How did a society come from nothing to this?¡±
Luckily, the natives were more than happy to explain their own origin story. It seemed to be a story that each child learns when they turn two or three years old.
¡°We were created by the three ringed gods.¡± The human¡¯s spiritual leader explained. ¡°Each of the rings are the bodies of our god, the Three Ringed God, and the god fought against the devourer of the sun. The battle ended in a stalemate, with both sides dying. The evil god became the remnant moon, while the Three Ringed God became the rings that we live on.¡±
Lumoof and Kafa looked at each other and knew their creation myths were probably wrong, but they didn¡¯t want to correct them. It would be highly improper to correct their hosts. It was not yet the time. Such things had to be handled gently.
¡°We came to this world as refugees, brought over by the Three Ringed God from an older world. The Three Ringed God¡¯s voice sent us into the underground homes, and gave us talents to thrive in this world.¡±
The native spiritual leader then demonstrated the ability. The seemingly normal humans then created fists made of steel, as if their flesh had the ability to transform into steel. We¡¯ve seen it in operation, but still we feigned surprise.
Internally, the Valthorns classified these humans as the Steelblooded. They were naturally tougher and more resistant, but even that wasn¡¯t enough.
¡°We use our gifts to build these steel walls, form our homes out of the body of the Three Ringed Gods, and manipulate the Ringsteel into these fortified doors. They keep the demons out.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Lumoof answered. ¡°Your Three Ringed God is wise.¡±
¡°Kind.¡± The native human answered. At this point, they were not really ¡®native¡¯ humans, but some of us wanted to call them the ¡®Ringmen¡¯.
¡°Are the strongest among you able to defeat the monsters during the Purple Darkness?¡± Kafa asked.
¡°A few of us, yes.¡± The Ring-leader answered. ¡°But there are more beasts out in the purple darkness than we ever could. Only those blessed by the Three Ringed God can walk under the Purple Darkness and face the darkness.¡±
The interactions and discussions over the next few weeks with the natives went fairly well. We learned that the locals were not the type to battle the demons or the monsters of the purple darkness. They only engaged and hunted monsters during the Months of Sun, as they needed their flesh and parts for tools. Under the influence of the Purple Moon, they avoided contact and focused on hiding in their bunkers.
The domain holders learned what they could, but there were no true bombshells. Things that the rest of the Valthorns can gather, in due time.
So, Stella¡¯s attention turned skywards.
They all looked at the thing that floated so close to the sun. A massive celestial object that was the true master of this realm.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the purple moon.¡±
291. The Tainted Greenfields I
291 - Greenfields VIII
The Purple Moon of the Three Ringed World
The four domain holders landed on the purple moon, and the sensation was immediate.
¡°Core.¡± Lumoof said, but he didn¡¯t really need to say it. All the domain holders knew, it was similar to the time when they reached the Core of Tropicsworld. There was no doubt, no uncertainty.
Just merely stepping on it they felt the core attempt to make a connection. For the rest of them, their domains blocked it. but Lumoof allowed it through, so that I could speak to it.
The feeling of a million thoughts seeping through his feet, and somehow the million voices coalesced into three distinct voices, yet they speak as one. The mere contact flooded me with visions of the Three Rings, of a world once without the plague of the demons.
Of a world when the Purple Moon did not release bursts of energy to cause the monsters to run amok.
Visitors. How- strange.
The voice spoke through my mind immediately, and by now, I was quite used to the presence of such ancient things. ¡°Hello. I am Aeon, from another world.¡±
We have not had visitors since the long drift apart.
There was a long pause, but I said nothing, because I felt it¡¯s probing senses. Cores, from what I could tell, were not evil. It was looking for things around me, and its energies moved.
I can sense the vague remnants of my fellow Cores in your being, their power subsumed into yours.
I wondered then whether those were my clones.
Are you here to claim us? Like the foul constructs?
¡°No.¡± I answered through the avatar form. With things like the Core, I decided honesty was the best policy. They were in some ways, sentient machines. ¡°I come to destroy them, as requested by one of the gods.¡±
So you are a claimant either way. A less destructive one.
I could feel Lumoof¡¯s intention to respond negatively, but again, I¡¯ve talked to enough cores to understand that their statements tend to be more pointed.
¡°If that counts as claiming, then yes. I will establish a presence in your ringworlds, and then use it to mount a counterattack on the demons.¡± I said plainly through our mental link. The domain holders stood on the purple rock, and the entirety of the rock was this realm¡¯s planetary core.
It just didn¡¯t take the form of a planetary core, but instead placed itself out of reach of the demons by existing as a moon.
What will you do to our children?
The cores created and took care of each of their inhabitants. In that way, each native is a ¡®child¡¯ of their core. Still, I was not sure how to answer them. ¡°They will live. Prosper, perhaps. But live.¡±
I felt a probing sense, as if it tried to understand where and what I had done. It somehow traced my flesh across all the worlds, yet not through me, but as if it were droplets of rain flowing down the leaves and barks of a tree.
Yet. Protectiveness. This was a protective core. A world that wanted to keep its children alive.
Altered forever, but alive. Our voice, if our children believe.
I felt a sense of acceptance, that my presence would be tolerable. Acceptable. The core¡¯s voice vanished.
We were still standing on the core. The core refused to entertain us further, as I felt the Will retreat back into the depths of the Core. I could force it if I plant a clone here.
But would I be better than the demons that way?
I think of planet cores, or actually, these ¡®realm cores¡¯ as the center of each world. It is not the ¡®sun¡¯ like our old worlds, but instead, these worlds are as if medieval beliefs where Earth was the center of the universe was true. Well, almost every one, except for this one. I had many questions about the design and creation of this world.
We looked back at the Three Rings. From this vantage point, it was as if the three rings moved around us. We glanced at the sections where the three rings intersected one another. There were six intersection points, and at each of these intersection points were beams of light that connected one ring to another, a place referred to as the ¡°ladder¡±.
It allowed the natives to move from one ring to another, and it was how all three rings are connected, even if one didn¡¯t have magic.
¡°I suppose we should just move on.¡± Stella said. ¡°Or step into the demon worlds linked through the rift gates.¡±
¡°This world has two demon kings.¡± Edna countered. From the purple moon it was surprisingly easy to find the demon king, because it¡¯s presence was not obstructed by other things, and there was a straight line from the purple moon to the sun-facing side of the rings.
¡°And this world is a long way from being captured.¡± Stella countered. ¡°It¡¯s only issue is that Hawa can¡¯t send anyone over anymore, and anyone Hawa sends need to send enough to deal with two demon kings.¡±
Lumoof looked at the rifts, and the paths through the stars. ¡°Let us hit the other worlds. We have a mission. This world can wait. The locals look very cozy and the demon kings seem content to wait.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we just take a tour, pay a visit to the demon kings and just see what it was up to?¡± Edna smirked, and it made all the other three domain holders stare at her.
¡°You¡¯re serious.¡±
¡°Yes. Why is it not doing anything? Don¡¯t you want to get more data points?¡±
And it was strange. We stood near it and watched the demon king remain as if it was in a hibernating state, or at least, in a state where all it did was reproduce. The demon king did not move as if waiting for something to happen.
¡°Does this count as a stable state?¡± Edna asked. We were wary that there are ¡®vulnerabilities¡¯, like what happened to Kei¡¯s demon king. If we attacked a living but ultimately harmless demon king, we could invite the presence of a far stronger demon king that would not just sit idly around.
As weird as it sounded, when demon kings didn¡¯t act and remained passive, our immediate thought was to consider whether it would be less harmful overall to just suppress the rest of the demons, and leave the demon king as it is.
A sort of ¡®fantasy¡¯ version of ¡®harm mitigation¡¯.
¡°I think we should ask Hawa. This sounds like something Hawa would know.¡± Edna said.
Lumoof nodded. ¡°Well, another thing to add to our growing list of questions.¡±
¡°Probably easier to just visit Satrya again.¡± Edna said, but she knew we could not do so.
Our mere presence creates doubt, and shakes the faith of their followers. In a world where god is present and that god says it is the only god, the mere presence of someone outside that god¡¯s rule is heretical.
¡°I bet there¡¯s more to ask after this.¡± Kafa said. ¡°Every single one of these peripheral worlds is about to be abandoned by Hawa. Might as well just move ahead and get on with it. We can compile our questions later.¡±
¡°Is that artifact time limited or with limited use?¡±
¡°Not really, it just takes a long time to charge between uses. The divine energies contained within it takes a while to accumulate.¡± Lumoof said.
¡°Then let¡¯s keep going. Let¡¯s split up again. You are with me, this time.¡± Lumoof pointed at Stella. Stella grinned.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Sure, old man.¡±
This time, Edna would go with Kafa to the Ninth, while Stella and Lumoof would go together to the Eighth.
***
Eight World - Triotuga
The eighth world started with Lumoof landing on what seemed like an alley. That was a good sign. Stella followed a brief moment after, since she did have to open the portals for everyone.
¡°An alley. A narrow street. A good sign.¡± Lumoof said as his senses fanned out into the surroundings. There were people. Humans, just the typical humans. They were both cloaked in illusions made to hide their presence, and so, they walked out of the alley to find a vibrant market. For once, this human city was not at war.
Not yet, at least.
This world¡¯s human society resembled the typical human-magical medieval society. There are kings, knights in armor, guards in chainmail and mages in robes walking around the main street.
¡°This is one of those copy-pasted worlds.¡± Stella said. ¡°Kinda lazy when they designed worlds like that.¡±
Lumoof chuckled. ¡°You make it sound like creating worlds and societies to be an easy thing.¡±
¡°I would think the natural evolution of-¡±
¡°One of those ¡°the heroes cause the spread of humans across the worlds¡± theory?.¡± Lumoof looked around and felt calm. Relaxed. ¡°At least, for one, I like how familiar everything is.¡±
¡°Familiar yet different?¡± Stella laughed as the humans argued. As with all medieval societies, there exists a noble class, a priest class, a tradesmen class, the soldier class and then the peasant class. A priest wearing typical Hawa outfits walked by, but he looked like the most corrupt, fat priest she had ever seen. ¡°Correction. Familiar, and extremely disgusting.¡±
¡°From one priest to another, let us not judge too hastily.¡± My avatar smiled, and walked about. The pair explored the human kingdoms, and found that this world was a tripartite state similar to Threeworlds.
The humans, the forestfolks, and the demon-users.
Humanity and corruption are almost inseparable. The humans were incredibly typical. It was a wide number of small and medium sized human-dominant monarchies that were spread over one third of the land.
Unlike Threehome, they didn¡¯t have dominant bodies, and so, the alliance of the human nations were motivated by a need to stick together to counter the incursions of the others. There was no set of central authority, and overtaking it would be fairly easy.
The forest folks were made of two great subspecies, the winged faeries, and the earthbound dryads. Unlike the myth of our own world, these faeries were all large, almost human seized and possessed sharp claws and teeth. In some ways, these winged fairies were more like winged goblins than actual faeries, and the faeries were more like the lower class, and seemed to be bred in gigantic hives that looked like an oversized bee¡¯s nest.
The dryads were the usual rulers, twice the size of humans and the largest were the size of full trees. They took the form of humans with bark skin, but could shapeshift into trees, or even animals. They also possessed a variety of earth magic. It reminded me of the dryad body I once possessed, and wondered whether that would be one way to infiltrate them. Or I could use my parasite, Ally, the former demon champion.
From what we gathered, the forestfolks were also made for a collection of kingdoms, each a gigantic forest of its own.
With the existence of such a place, naturally I wondered whether their kingdoms were anchored by spiritual trees, but despite the large amount of magic coursing through their forests, Lumoof did not detect any spiritual trees.
The forest folks used a kind of light [camouflage] and [illusion] ability, similar to my [dark forest] in order to hide their presence from others, but around domain holders, it was fairly easy to unmask.
The border areas between the forest folks and the humans were outright battlegrounds. The forest folks tolerated no humans, and killed them with their control over the trees. The humans of the border practised extensive culling of trees, and permitted no shrub or bush higher than a child. Every single large plant along the border and a large buffer zone was effectively purged of all large plants. The humans were just as brutal, and the humans of the border used magical nets and harpoons with a kind of iron string.
The priests of Hawa, despite their corruption, also possessed a set of [Purge] and [Banish] abilities that seemed extensively effective against the forest folks. The forest folks, on the other hand, were able to regenerate and recover from damage by draining their nearby trees of it¡¯s life force. Their weakness was iron, and so, in a defensive battle, the forest folks could fight with extremely high toughness. The dryads, on top of their passives also had good ranged abilities and had the ability to control their environment.
I suspected that the dryads had a hostile relationship with spirit trees, and potentially, given the forest folks¡¯ ability to drain life force from spirit trees, it¡¯s likely that any spirit trees that spawned in their magical forests were sucked to death.
The third faction, the demon users, were a kind of boar-faced people with strong hides, and it was walking into their lands that we realized what was wrong with them. They controlled demons, and I could feel their spiritual tendrils extend beyond their body. Young boarfolk could extend one or two spiritual tendrils out of their bodies, and they would link this to the demons. This would allow the boarfolk to control them.
But this link was not a one-way link, and in older boarfolk that controlled more demons, the demons¡¯ influence also corrupted them, and turned them into almost-demon like creatures.
¡°This is like Aeon¡¯s mana overwhelming, but far more specific.¡± Lumoof observed them from our hidden location. The tendrils were visible to me because of our spiritual vision, but to normal mana sensitive folk, they would feel as if there is a haze of magic emitted out of the boarfolk.
The boarfolk created a society of sorts, small cities made of boarfolk and their enthralled demons. They were able to control weaker demons, but from what I could see, not a single demon champion.
Instead, we followed the footsteps of the stronger boarfolk and observed that their ¡®base¡¯ abilities were similar to animal tamers. They controlled the demons as their pets, and empowered their ¡®pets¡¯ to do the fighting. Maybe they even were beast tamers at one point, but then turned their talents towards the demons.
Unfortunately, this link would be supercharged whenever there is a demon king present. A link that would corrupt them.
In short, when a demon king arrives into this world, the entirety of the Boarfolk suffers from demonic corruption, and transforms into a demon. This process would strangely reverse itself once the demon king dies.
Not all boarfolk transformed into the demons, like the children, and the boarfolk constructed special locations to house their young boarlings during the demon years, supported by a group of boarfolk that did not control any single demon.
They essentially sold themselves to the demons. The demons spared the boarfolk, because of the demonic corruption through their mental link. I would love to capture them and study how their mental link worked.
It should be possible for me to create more powerful versions of the boarfolk¡¯s demonic control, and turn the demons against itself. Though, looking at how the demons¡¯ mana worked, it¡¯s likely such a thing would be outright rejected by my domain holders, unless the circumstances truly demanded it.
As of now, the world is still relatively stable. The rifts have not yet opened, but there was a glowing path in the skies above. The demon king was coming soon, and war would break out.
The boarfolk always invaded the rest of them, and so the other two races erected massive fortifications along the border.
But we¡¯ve seen enough. We would send Valthorns here to understand them in detail. It was time for the domainholders to keep moving.
***
Ninth Peripheral World
The Tale of the Two Continents
The portals opened, and Edna landed on the roof of what seemed to be a heavily populated city. Kafa followed.
Crowds. They saw crowds, and everyone lived their lives. It almost seemed like none of them worried about the demons.
¡°Well. This doesn¡¯t look like a demon world.¡± Kafa laughed after a week of traveling. It was just more and more people. It was just a world with a lot of humanoids. Humans, lizardfolk, dwarves, elves, centaurs. It had most of the types of people, and yet they were all trapped on this massive continent-sized island.
An island that clearly didn¡¯t have enough resources to meet everyone¡¯s desires, and so they fought each other over what little they had. The land was mediocre, the metals were mediocre, and the magic in the air was thin.
It was a massive continental island, home to hundreds of millions, and not a single demon in sight. There were few forests in this world, instead, everyone lived in cities, or in the case of the elves and dwarves, turned forests into cities.
Farmland was also plenty, but unlike the other worlds, the farms here were heavily worked. They could feel the presence of many effects and abilities trying to force more output out of their limited farmlands.
A large, heavily populated world with a scarcity issue.
But only on this continent. Edna and Kafa knew the world was much bigger, and so they used magic, and traveled.
Then they discovered a few more islands, with more resources, but infested with monsters.
And even further away, another full sized continent overrun with demons.
It was as if imagining Treehome, in a situation where a demon king stuck to one continent and never left it. The humanoids claimed one continent for themselves, and the demons claimed another. The continent of demons was densely covered with demons of varying strength, and the demon king was a gigantic three headed demonic elephant that was already digging into the ground.
In a decade or two, it would completely dig into the core, and this world¡¯s way of life would change forever.
The rest of the smaller islands were just overrun with magical creatures, and this was where the humanoids ventured for wealth and resources.
But the great demon continent remained forever a land none dared touch. A land of death and destruction.
They referred to it as the cursed continent.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge affected. That was what they called the Central Continent, once.
¡°Well.¡± Kafa and Edna landed on the island, and Kafa looked at his fellow warrior. ¡°This world¡¯s not in trouble. Not yet, anyway.¡±
¡°Seen enough?¡± Edna smiled after about a month of travel.
Kafa sighed. They¡¯ve largely formed an assessment in that month. ¡°The great part of this world is its population. If our goal as an institution is to truly collect talent, then a significantly larger surviving population is more likely to produce the talent we need.¡±
¡°Outside of the population, I suppose you are right. Let¡¯s go to the next.¡±
Each world had their own demon kings, and each had their own ticking timer. Some had more time, some had less.
We would likely need to do a full sweep of all the worlds, clean it up for demon kings, and then decide where to properly set up base. There were six more worlds to go.
292. Tainted Fields II
Tenth - The Human Kingdom Lands of Caval
A land of knights. A land of warriors. Edna¡¯s stint on the ninth world was short, so she and Kafa landed in the tenth world to find one filled with knights, and demons. It was something like Satrya, and yet not.
It was too familiar, and yet that familiarity also evoked a sensation within the lizardfolk.
¡°I¡¯m starting to feel a little sick of traveling.¡± Kafa mused as a joke. It was only partly one.
Edna agreed. ¡°Traveling too much does weigh on one¡¯s soul.¡±
¡°I think I understand why Hawa¡¯s just eager to let go of worlds. At some point, I think I wouldn¡¯t be able to care.¡±
Edna stared, and wondered how that escalated quickly. The lines between a stare and a glare were so thin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be like that. That will be our slow death.¡±
Kafa looked back. ¡°You¡¯re made of stronger stuff that I am, Lady Edna. I see these new worlds, and I realize at some point, why should I care? A part of me speaks to return to my familiar lands. Lands that are safe. As long as our homes are safe-¡±
¡°Death.¡± Edna answered. ¡°We cannot be the only island in a sea flooded with demons. Death comes to us eventually. Together, with a coalition of the living, we can create a wall.¡±
Kafa sighed. That was true. ¡°I know. I know. But this has been a lot more tiring than I expected. I thought the worlds would be interesting, but now we are in the tenth peripheral world and even if they are interesting, I wonder to myself whether I should care anymore.¡±
Edna tapped the lizard warrior on his armored scales. ¡°Because we must. Because we are the only ones that can care for these worlds that are no longer cared for.¡±
¡°I know you are right.¡± Kafa said but he looked at the world and felt a little blank. ¡°This is the burden of our existence, and we may have traveled a little too much.¡±
Edna nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get a break. We can return home and rest. I suppose we do need it. I will continue on with the others.¡±
Kafa nodded. ¡°I certainly do need some time back home.¡±
It was so tempting to relegate the world to just something of a copy paste of another world. Even when none of the worlds they¡¯ve been to were actually proper mono-human societies.
This was a world with only humans, and they fought demons.
Naturally, in mono-race societies, anything or anyone that doesn¡¯t resemble that mono-race is automatically assumed to be a monster. Or a demon. Both, if the demons had possession and corruption abilities, and that race had inherited trauma from past parasitic demons.
We still see this in the Southern Continent where some humans still experience micro-flinches at the sight of non-humans. Perhaps not outright hostile, but a reaction nonetheless.
¡°Well, to be fair this human world fits your powers like a glove.¡± Kafa laughed a few days later as they explored the world of Caval.
¡°On the other hand, I could think of about a hundred or two other Valthorns and allies that would benefit from this world.¡± Edna countered. There were also many others who could exploit a world of multiple city states.
¡°Maybe the next one is a sandworld.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like sand.¡±
¡°I know. Some lizardfolks claim it gets between our scales and makes everything nasty.¡± Kafa answered, and so Edna chuckled.
¡°I thought some lizardfolks are native to the sands.¡±
¡°Some.¡± Kafa said. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those. I¡¯m the swamp kind, and sand irritates me.¡±
¡°Then we should visit a swampworld. I bet there¡¯s one. Maybe not the peripheral worlds, but beyond that.¡±
The tenth peripheral world of Caval was one of not many gimmicks. It was just humans and demons. It¡¯s population was fairly large, and in the past, the city states that received heroes from the old gods prospered. But somehow, the cities never quite formed up into large empires.
It¡¯s social structure was also fairly similar to the humans of the eighth peripheral world, and even the old human empires of Treehome. The feudal aspects naturally reoccurred throughout the multiverse, and that was a fairly sad thing to think about.
I believe it¡¯s a product of the power and combat based systems. Societies where the powerful can exert power much more easily over the weak would naturally be more feudal, simply because there is no check or balance on the authority of the strong.
¡°Well? Any views?¡± Edna asked.
Kafa just sighed. ¡°If what we want is gaming the odds of getting talent, I suppose this isn¡¯t a bad place. It has most of the basic resources and resources, and with Aeon¡¯s influence, it should be possible to turn this world into a farm for soldiers over a few decades.¡±
¡°Overall, where would you place it?¡±
¡°Below the mageworld, and that overpopulated world. Or even the Three-Ringed world. Hell, at least Landas has a magic tree. This world of humans is a little ordinary to be worth a clone.¡±
¡°Ordinary could be good. Mountainworld is fairly ordinary as it goes, and it is now our core world.¡±
¡°Then why choose? We could just roll the dice.¡± Kafa said. ¡°Each world has a ceiling for population size it can comfortably absorb, a ceiling to its mana output. I suppose given this world¡¯s ordinary design, it should have a fairly balanced mix of resources, so that¡¯s one thing going for it.¡±
Edna laughed. ¡°You¡¯re perfectly right. Alright, I¡¯m not going to tease you more. We should keep going.¡±
***
The seemingly ordinary world of Caval wasn¡¯t totally ordinary, once they started to investigate the heroes and defenses of the various city states of Caval. There were segments of uniqueness to it, such as the many magical swords on the world of Caval.
The heroes of Caval, when they were summoned long ago, would also arrive with something called the [Seed of the Hero Sword]. Each hero would then, through their own growth journey, grow this Sword Seed into a magical weapon worthy of them, and throughout the world of Caval, there were hundreds of remnant hero swords, left by earlier heroes.
Completed hero swords were extremely powerful, they contained a large fragment of the hero¡¯s power that grew as the hero developed over time. Even incomplete hero swords, left by the heroes that died too young or early, were still decently powerful artifacts.
Interestingly, the journey of the heroes of Caval also takes them through the path of gathering the swords made by previous heroes, to add the power of the old hero swords to their arsenal of abilities.
Naturally, I began to wonder why these worlds were this way.
Did the planetary core influence how a world¡¯s heroes worked?
***
Lumoof held up the strange object in his hands, and willed it to activate. We could feel the power of a divine artifact, it twisted the world so viscerally that anyone nearby would¡¯ve felt as if the world itself was torn apart to create the small tunnel.
It linked the world, and Hawa, if only momentarily, for us to speak. It felt like a sheer waste of divine energy, but then again, what could be more important than the exchange of information between two multiworld powers?
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
A part of me was repulsed by that sort of overbearing thoughts, but a large part of me embraced the reality long ago.
¡°I was wondering when you would have more questions?¡±
¡°Well, then I finally have them. Why do heroes seem different from world to world? How exactly does the hero class work?¡±
¡°It is not too much of a stretch to say that it is a trade made with the system. We petition the [system] for heroes that are adapted to defeat the demon kings. The hero classes themselves are created through the system. Think of it as visiting a merchant, and you tell the merchant that you wish to purchase a weapon with a certain set of attributes, and a certain set of skills. The merchant would then go to the back of it''s room, and after searching and cobbling things together, it would then offer you a selection.¡±
I paused. ¡°Then the mental controls on the heroes?¡±
¡°Our earliest attempts to summon heroes cost us too much of our faith points, we gave heroes all the power at the very start, only to find that they misused our gifts. Rather than deal with the demons, the heroes summoned did everything else. In quite a few worlds, the heroes ended up destroying everything. They were a medicine that killed its patients. A cure worse than the disease.¡±
This was something I long suspected.
¡°So, as a whole, we imposed conditions on the heroes. Many of the gods came together, back when the world was much smaller, to collectively control heroes. The heroes were a very sharp knife, and we wanted it directed specifically at the demons.¡±
¡°Then the worlds-¡±
¡°Each hero class, offered to us to choose, is a combination of our parameters, and the restrictions imposed by each ¡®world¡¯. We cannot summon a dragonling hero to a world without dragonlings. We cannot summon a lizardman hero to a world with only humans. These conditions are within each world¡¯s inherent conditions. In worlds where everyone uses magic, working with the world¡¯s restrictions and conditions reduces our faith point cost. Think of each core as a micro world with it¡¯s own rules. Overcoming the rules costs faith points. Working with the rules reduces our faith points. It already costs us too much to pluck heroes from the source worlds and then send them over to these demon-attacked worlds¡±
We listened. ¡°But- why do the core worlds have these rules? Where do they come from?¡±
¡°At the heart of that question, is a question of our origin. That is something I do not know the answer for. Even we wonder what truly is our origin story. Where we came from remains a mystery to even the most ancient of us.¡±
¡°But surely worlds and rules come from- somewhere?¡±
¡°In the early years, there was an idea that we are all creations of dreams. The unused radiant thoughts of the source worlds. It remains to be proven. But I digressed. Each world has its own rules. Overcoming them has a price. ¡±
There were questions.
¡°For my core worlds, I am able to alter the core¡¯s rules directly, because I exert control over their core. I can weave my divine laws into them, and change how each of these different worlds function. There are limitations imposed by the system, but ultimately, it is all a matter of faith points.¡±
¡°Then, can the heroes gain divinity?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not. It is an inherent restriction of the hero class. The hero class is a borrowed power. A god cannot borrow its power from another.¡±
¡°Even those freed?¡±
¡°Freed?¡±
¡°Those that escaped from the mental restrictions and altered the hero class.¡±
¡°That is not supposed to happen. But no. The power remains borrowed. The hero class is linked to a store of divine power from the system.¡±
I see. Colette¡¯s chances of having a domain is nil. Unless she gives it up for- ¡°But they can trade their hero class for other classes-¡±
¡°Yes. But there is a cap. There is a distance they will have to climb on their own merit.¡±
I see. But then, I look at the heroes, and remembered there was a question I really wanted to ask. ¡°Why the heroes? Why pick them from the source worlds?¡±
¡°Because they have the best souls.¡±
¡°Really?¡± I found that hard to believe.
¡°What you see is after the system¡¯s meddling. But the souls of those from the source worlds are most suited for the perils of interdimensional travel.¡±
I thought about the question that the heroes asked. ¡°Do they- do they really return to their source worlds after they die? Can they go home?¡±
¡°I have no ability to send them back, so I am not certain. But the system claims they will, so they will.¡±
¡°How? Is it really a lie? What is the system?¡±
¡°I have no answer to that. Know that what is created across many worlds are often random. Worlds that cannot self sustain simply collapse, and those that can are all that remain. Unusual and different, but they have reached a point where they can function as self-sufficient worlds. At least, until the demons threatened to consume us all.¡±
At this point, I felt the powers of the divine artifact wane. It would need some time to recharge.
¡°There is no need to worry, we will speak again.¡±
We had answers, but we still had more to do.
***
Fifth world - Magisar
Lausanne and Ebon looked at each other during a short break. Just a while ago, they helped the Magisarian humans out of the rubble. Some of these humans, who didn¡¯t want to live under the rule of the Tower Masters, left the tower and decided to strike it out in the vast wilderness.
The wilderness, filled with monsters and the demon golems, plants and demonic hybrid plants, was a hostile environment, but these refugees decided rolling the dice was worth it, at least compared to the cramped and slum-like living standards of the Towers.
This group of refugees were not that big. Just about one hundred people.
¡°Are you really from another world?¡± The leader of the refugees was a relatively strong mage at about level 52. He was supported by a group of thirteen level 40 mages.
¡°Yes.¡± Hoyia¡¯s calming presence worked like a charm. To the refugees, she was the presence of the divine itself, a woman of tremendous holiness that even the mages cannot help but believe. The man stared. ¡°But I am not the hero.¡±
The heroes of Magisar, at least, some time ago, used to arrive once every two to three decades. Not enough to quell the demon king¡¯s reign, but enough to buy time.
The hundred or so were fed, and given food. The food provided had to be plant based, because the differences in blood type were then immediately noticeable. They vomited when given meat from other worlds. It was alien meat to them, and their bodies, though similar in appearance, were not able to tolerate the meats from the other worlds.
At least they responded to the healing energies, and that sort of energy transfer still worked.
There would be a lot of things to study. The interactions of the Magisarian humans with all the different types of materials available would be something they needed to check. Despite the natural magical aptitude of the Magisarians, if the side effects of their body were serious, it may seriously hinder their ability to operate offworld.
***
Lausanne snuck into Gorfort Tower. It wasn¡¯t difficult, aligning one¡¯s mana to the frequencies of the teleportation spell was fairly simple, compared to the mana attunement required to travel through demonic rifts.
Every single Level 125 Valthorn is familiar with the basics, even advanced versions of a few other major disciplines. They had to be, because out in the fields, it was really hard to know what the other worlds could throw at them. Even if they didn¡¯t receive a class in those unrelated class trees, the skills and knowledge still helped their overall performance.
¡°How is it in there?¡± Ebon asked via their message network. He was located a distance away, clearing out the demonic hives. It was quite easy to locate more refugees, once they figured the patterns. The refugees generally preferred wide open spaces where it¡¯s hard for the golems to surprise them.
So, rather than look for easily defended places, the mages exploited wide open spaces where they have range and it is easy for them to use spells.
¡°It¡¯s surprisingly sad.¡± Lausanne found the living conditions terrible. Due to the space scarcity in the Towers, everyone was crammed into a small space. Ultimately, Lumoof¡¯s information guided them to one of the mages they stalked.
The mage Metteria Hudrot lived in a small room, just big enough for a bed, and four shelves. There were no bathrooms, and instead, for their level, the bathrooms were shared by a few units together, similar to a dorm.
She lived in a less pleasing place when she was lower leveled. Under level 30, a mage was pretty much just a peon, and would only have a bed and a small box as their personal living space. Even children were centrally managed. For the low level mage-parents, they were pretty much living in tiny rooms with stacked beds.
¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Metteria Hudrot looked around, and Lausanne smiled. ¡°Who- who are you?¡±
It was easy to tell they were different. Their skin tones were different. Their build was different. Lausanne had dense, lean muscles throughout her body, while Metteria was thin, almost boney. Unlike Lausanne¡¯s rounded joints, the Magisarian humans lacked the muscle mass and their joints protruded from their skinny frames.
Lausanne knew it wasn¡¯t the diet. She knew of humans that strictly consumed vegetables that still had muscle mass. This difference was in their blood and genes. Their stick thin appearance is a norm.
¡°Hello. I¡¯d like to talk.¡±
¡°-what?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sent by the man you saw during your mission a few weeks ago. The man that vanished.¡±
Metteria¡¯s eyes immediately widened. ¡°It wasn¡¯t an illusion!¡±
¡°Of course. Now, will you come with me?¡± Lausanne approached her, and suddenly a magical portal appeared right next to Lausanne.
Metteria gulped. ¡°Where are we going?¡±
¡°Somewhere we can talk in greater detail.¡±
There were probably a million questions going through the mage¡¯s mind, but it was important to learn more about the Tower Masters of the various Towers, before making contact. So, they had to infiltrate and learn about their society from the middle, where they had enough knowledge and access to see the bigger picture.
Lausanne would try to contact Metteria¡¯s master, next. It would be easier if Metteria could do the introductions.
They would slowly find potential allies, learn about the various Tower Master¡¯s pain points and weaknesses, and see how they could absorb these Towers into the fold peacefully.
By Lausanne¡¯s own estimates, Aeon had much to offer these Magisarians. She only hoped that they were wise enough to accept the deal.
293. Floodplains
293
Year 274
Aeon
It¡¯s been a year since we started exploring the peripheral worlds, and we were now in our 11th world. I began to feel the strain of the expanding world. The Valtrian Order now stretched across more worlds, and each of them required resources. Shipment of goods. Even mana.
Stella and her growing team of void mages worked overtime to send people over, but ultimately, we had to decide on the placement on the node trees. Without node trees, the void mages would be fully tasked with the movement of people and resources, and this strained our void mages.
Our void mages were a fairly limited group in the first place. There were about two thousand void mages, but most of them were relatively mid levels around level 60 to 90. Then, there¡¯s about one to two hundred void mages that we considered to be ¡®deployable¡¯, a decent number, but for movements to these faraway places, it is mainly the void archmages and their peers that did the work.
With my domainholders leading the exploration, I directed my own attention on the industry growth. I needed the ¡®drain¡¯ on resources by some of the worlds in repair, such as Tropicsworld, to taper off.
But luckily, it was not bad news.
Because for the world of Treehome, the reality bubble expanded, and then, I felt something exceptional happen.
In the faraway distance, at the edge of space itself, I could somehow see past the bubble that separated Treehome¡¯s reality, and the endless void sea. Using the vision of the void layers granted and shared with me, it was as if there was a world birthed within the void itself.
At that moment, I saw thousands of worlds, floating as if suspended in a dormant state. Each world was encased in a package of void energies. The void sea is the spawning pool of the world. It is the primordial soup, and from my point of view, I believe, it was only something I could see.
Because through my domain, through my empowerment of Treehome¡¯s core, I could see the energy of the Core stretch into the void itself, and then, it searched. I didn¡¯t know how, or what it did. But it searched through the void sea, as if looking for something that matched.
Then it found one, a world somehow with land and water encased in a strange liquid sac within the void sea. I felt the Core¡¯s authority spread into that liquid sac, and it pulled.
It pulled, and pulled.
It felt like forever, it felt like just a moment, and the reality bubble of Treehome suddenly bulged as that new world in the sac made contact with the wall. It was as if a larger soap bubble joined with a smaller soap bubble, and then, a new world entered into Treehome¡¯s reality.
It drifted, then drifted and settled in an outer orbit around Treehome¡¯s sun.
And so, Treehome now has a sister planet.
***
My forces arrived on the sister planet to find it already populated and with plants and people.
A dream from the Core of Treehome filled in the blanks.
A world that existed entirely within the void sea in a state of limbo. It exists, but imperfectly. The void sea is the cradle of worlds.
I strangely found it similar to something from my past life. This new world was as if a program that was in development, but never went ¡®live¡¯. It ran in a test environment all this while, but when it was pushed to the ¡®live¡¯ environment, it inherited all the history it created during the test environment.
The sister world of Treehome, which I now called Shrubhome, shared the same racial mix as Treehome, and it came already present with a decently sized population.
¡°How?¡± Most of my forces didn¡¯t understand. Or maybe they did, but it was a reality that was hard to swallow. For us from Earth or the source worlds, it was hard to grasp whether we were dealing with reality. How was a world that didn¡¯t exist before, suddenly exist with its own history in what felt like a few days. In a way, it was simpler to think of this new world as one that exists in a realm separate from ours, and now it moved across the realms to join us.
Because the implications of a world created out of scratch meant we were all simulations. That our existence could be created out of the blue by the void sea.
The mages were surprisingly more willing to accept it. To them, if summons were real, then creations of a world with its own history could be real.
For me personally, I found it easier to think of this sister world as a world that was teleported in, to be our celestial neighbor.
***
Shrubhome was a smaller world. Smaller, but still had seas and continents, similar to Treehome. It had three large continents, and my forces arrived to find existing kingdoms and nations already squabbling.
There were no domain holders here. Not a single one, and the strongest person we sensed, as only in the level 50s.
We spoke to some of the leaders of Shrubhome, and it seems, from their point of view, they were always there, and when they looked up to the skies and the sun, Treehome was always in their star maps.
Again, if magic can do so much, creating worlds out of thin air should be doable. But damn it was hard to truly accept. Somehow. The flow of energies on Shrubhome was also the same as Treehome.
This was a world where the Core is actually linked to Treehome¡¯s core.
I sensed the same energy from Shrubhome¡¯s core. The core was a physical object, but in Treehome¡¯s case, now it was split into two.
I wondered whether this was a form of defense mechanism. A demon king needed to capture both cores in order to fully control the world.
***
Eleventh World - Shasan [Land of Sands and Floods - Demons are Gigantic Fire Demons But Expansion Curtailed by the Sands]
¡°Sand.¡± Johann picked up a handful of sand, and the sand was blown away by the wind. It was fine sand, high quality, even. But sand. The sun was bright, and there was not a single cloud in the sky.
The sand, the heat, the cloudless sky all reminded them of the Scorpionoid lands of Zhaanpu.
¡°Well, looks like we found the world to fulfill our promise to Zhaanpu.¡± Roon smiled. ¡°Khefri would enjoy this place.¡±
¡°Is something going on with you and Khefri?¡± Ezar asked.
Roon shook his head. ¡°Nothing. There was nothing, and there¡¯s still nothing. At one point, Chung was pursuing her.¡±
¡°He¡¯s dying soon. You have a chance.¡±
Roon made an exaggerated retching expression. ¡°Please. At some point I¡¯m going to prefer to be partnerless.¡±
¡°I have a partner.¡± Ezar admitted. ¡°And she¡¯s cute. I hope to have many babies with her.¡±
Roon paused as he looked into the distance. There was a very faint scent of some kind of human presence. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Is it a fairly recent thing?¡±
Ezar nodded. ¡°Yeah. We got together recently. At least, before this whole peripheral worlds thing. I kinda miss her already.¡±
The ranger pointed in a direction, and the three began to move. ¡°Well, maybe you should head back and go make some babies. I think there¡¯s really no need for three of us in a single world.¡±
Ezar shrugged. ¡°The three of us are meant to offset Lumoof and Edna¡¯s significantly higher levels. But yeah, I should make babies.¡±
¡°I know I know.¡± Roon laughed. ¡°But yeah- look, humans. Again.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Johann joined in and the three activated their illusionary spells. They needed to stalk the natives and learn more about them before making the first contact. ¡°Aeon would love to have a look at your kids.¡±
Ezar nodded. ¡°Aeon¡¯s medical care would be indispensable.¡±
¡°I mean-¡±
¡°I know what you mean.¡± Ezar said. ¡°I¡¯m curious too. I just hope there¡¯s no complications for the mother.¡±
¡°Is she human? Where¡¯s she from?¡± Roon asked.
¡°Yeah. She¡¯s an enchanter working for the Valthorns. She helped make one of the pieces of my gauntlets.¡±
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¡°Oh. Sweet. At least she isn¡¯t an outsider. That hardly works well.¡± Roon said. ¡°There¡¯s Valthorns married to folks outside the Order, and that can get a little messy if things get leaked.¡±
Ezar squirmed. ¡°That-¡±
¡°What usually happens is the outsider gets absorbed in, but that can be a little traumatic for the partner.¡± Roon explained.
There were information access tiers to the Order, and for domainholders, they pretty much had full access. As one goes down the Order¡¯s ranks, the access tiers decreased. It¡¯s monitored by the artificial minds, to ensure key information remains secure.
There wasn¡¯t 100% security. Not with the various kinds of espionage skills and surveillance spells, but we have been fairly successful in controlling data leakages with a huge network of artificial minds and Patreeck¡¯s perpetual mind scanning abilities.
¡°You need to tell me more. Later.¡± Ezar said as the three snuck close and followed the human caravan traveling through the sands.
***
The trio didn¡¯t take long to start noticing the unusual creatures of this desert world. One, there were sandbirds. They were part sand-part spiritual creatures that were more like elementals, than actual animals.
There were many other larger creatures, like a gigantic sandfish that resembled a transparent fish but with sand as its skin. They were just native animals made of sand.
Then, the vegetation was also different. Despite the strong sunlight, the plants they have were skinny, brown colored things. Instead, these plants were drawn to magic, and seemed to derive sustenance from the natural magical energies.
As a result, they tend to be brownish or sand-colored, and were mostly camouflaged in order to hide from the animals that prey on them. The plants were also able to move to an extent, because their roots seemed to be able to extend to reach the magical ley lines.
In a way, they were pretty much some kind of plant-animal blend that didn¡¯t need water or sunlight, and instead used sand and magic for its¡¯ sustenance.
¡°The great rain is in fifteen days.¡± The trio listened to the local humans talk. ¡°The sands will flood and we must reach Norgan. Make haste, everyone.¡±
They whipped the strange armored beasts, and they roared. The armored beasts were also sand-like creatures similar to the sandbirds and the sandworms. They were fed a collection of brown plant leaves harvested from the various magical plant patches. The locals called them the Brown Trees.
The trio followed the human caravans and reached it in thirteen. Norgan was the first human settlement they encountered in the world of Shasan, and it was located on a rare rock outcropping. A mesa in what appeared to be a sea of sand.
***
The people of Shasan made things out of sand and rock, and they did so through a class known as the [Sand Sculptors]. We also soon noticed the presence of an Altar made of Sand that we were pretty sure was a magical object.
It granted the class [Sand Sculptor] to anyone who prayed to it. All cities have one of these Sand Altars.
They were magical existences, a kind of spiritual object similar to a spiritual tree, but one of sand.
It reminded me of Zhaanpu, and wondered what Zhaanpu would¡¯ve done to a world like this.
***
Then we experienced Shasan¡¯s unique weather.
The Great Flood. A seasonal rain that happens almost like clockwork. The skies were charged with a kind of magic, similar to ley lines, but different.
The people of Shasan were ready. Their homes, all located on top of the mesas, were built with large walkways, and then it poured. The skies poured more water than we¡¯ve ever seen anywhere. It was just a constant torrent of rain that flooded everything.
The sea of sands became an actual sea, complete with monsters and creatures. The sand creatures we saw previously now took new forms, and they shed their body of sand for a body of water.
The actual constant rain lasted for two weeks, but the Great Flood itself would last for about two more months, followed by two weeks of ¡®the great draining¡¯.
The world alternated between sand and water in about three month cycles. During the great rain the Shasan humans would fish and harvest the various creatures that spawn in the sea. During the great sands, they would hunt certain types of plants and beasts, such as the magically sustained Sandplants.
Yet, so far, the demon¡¯s presence were minimal. There was a demon king here, so it was strange to us. Eventually, my domain holders spent months moving through the vast sands and seas and eventually found it.
We soon found the demon king in a flooded pit. It wasn¡¯t dead. Water wouldn¡¯t kill the creature that didn¡¯t need to breathe. Instead, it was headed towards the depths of the Core. We also learned there were no surviving heroes. The last of the demon slayers died about twenty years ago.
Despite this, the demons did not take over the world. The environment significantly hindered the demon¡¯s ability to expand, just as how the oceans of Treehome often constrained the demons to a particular continent.
Even when the demons did attack, The demons were also clustered around a few corrupted mesas, islands of demonic forces. The lesser demons didn¡¯t take well to water, and the sand creatures were brutal.
In some ways, this wasn¡¯t a horrible state. The demons hardly bothered the locals.
This world didn¡¯t really need us.
***
Metteria Hudrot, The Stone Mage of Magisar
There were only three of them, and three of these visitors. They were not the strange person she saw, but she trembled. Her senses screamed to take at least a few step backs, so they did.
It was the man in armor. Ebon. He emitted a keen, cutting presence that made her feel as if her skin and head would be sliced open. Next to him was Lausanne, the woman that invited her and spoke to her a few days ago. Then, next to her was another man that felt every bit like a Tower master, and more.
¡°Greetings. Thank you for coming.¡± Lausanne said with a smile. Metteria¡¯s brief meetup with her was punctuated by teleportation portals, skills that only Tower Masters could use.
Junker Quartz, and Kerifa Gundhert were both master mages and were in the high level 60s. The true masters were in the level 80s, and yet Metteria watched the two of them sweat. Magisarians all had a keen sense of magic and mana, and some magisarians could even see magic flows in the air around them.
Junker Quartz was one of those unique individuals with the power to see magic in the air, and it was why he became a great bronze mage.
Lausanne led them to a meeting area carved out of the rocks of the ground. The entire area should¡¯ve been infested with demonic golems, and yet, Metteria¡¯s senses were clear. There wasn¡¯t any.
Kerifa sat first, and she naturally took the position as if she was in charge. ¡°Who are you three, and what do you want?¡±
Lausanne smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s start with what we want. I was told that the Tower Masters¡¯ position as the Tower Masters can be challenged directly through a magical duel.¡±
Kerifa, Junker and Metteria stared at each other. Her immediate suspicion was the other Towers. During an earlier, much less demon infested time, Tower Masters frequently sent mages to other Towers, and tried to usurp power and claim the Other Towers by way of a duel.
¡°Who- who do you work for? Which Tower?¡± Kerifa asked.
¡°None of that.¡± Lausanne laughed. ¡°But can it be done, and is it still recognized today?¡±
¡°I doubt it. The Tower masters won¡¯t let go of their positions. Not in our current environment.¡± Kerifa frowned, but at that point, a portal opened and a man Kerifa and Metteria recognized stepped out. Metteria¡¯s fellow disciple.
¡°Good to see you again, Master Kerifa.¡± Lezzan was one of the refugee mages rescued in the Valthorn¡¯s recent tour of the Magisarian lands. ¡°It¡¯s been- eight years?¡±
Kerifa rubbed her eyes. ¡°Have I gone blind? I thought you were dead!¡±
¡°It¡¯s quite hard for a bug like me to die.¡± The refugee mage was one of the assistants. ¡°Well, we had enough of the Tower Master¡¯s selfishness!¡±
¡°That¡¯s a death sentence.¡±
¡°Now, we have enough to finally think of challenging the Tower¡¯s whims.¡± Lezzan said proudly.
Lausanne coughed. Lezzan immediately paled and changed his words.
¡°My apologies. I certainly wouldn¡¯t dare to claim credit for the visitors¡¯ achievements.¡±
Ebon¡¯s helmet turned and stared. At that moment, they all felt the man¡¯s overwhelming presence on their shoulders. Metteria didn¡¯t notice it before, but now that she did, she noticed the man¡¯s armor and helmet were not made with their common bronze alloys.
Instead, it looked like a metal that¡¯s exceptionally rare on Magisar. So much so that Metteria blurted it out. ¡°Is that a suit of armor made of steel?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Ebon said, and then turned to face Lezzan. His voice was heavy, and strong, and Lezzan cowered in his presence. ¡°And you. We invited you to repeat what you said to us.¡±
Lezzan gulped. ¡°I- I- said that it is possible to formally take the position as a Tower Master if a challenger is endorsed by at least three resident Level 50 mages.¡±
Kerifa and Junker then looked at each other. Kerifa scratched her chin once she recovered from Ebon¡¯s presence. ¡°The old Tower¡¯s Challenge remains within the Gorfort Tower¡¯s code, but it has not been invoked in the past forty or so years. Will the challenger be one of you, Lezzan? Your leader?¡±
Lezzan shook his head. ¡°I- I doubt our leader could even last against the great Tower Masters.¡±
¡°Can it be done?¡± Lausanne asked. Metteria noticed she was already a little annoyed with the mages'' constant diversions.
Kerifa nodded. ¡°Possible.¡±
Junker looked at Kerifa, and then at the man standing next to Lausanne. ¡°Will it be you?¡±
Metteria¡¯s eyes and senses focused on the man with a strange hat, and he shrugged. ¡°Much depends on our central Command.¡±
Lausanne frowned. ¡°The two of you, can you find someone willing to endorse a foreign mage for the position.¡±
The two shook their heads. ¡°We won¡¯t endorse an outsider.¡±
The woman sighed. ¡°Well, this has been a waste of time. What level is the Tower Master?¡±
¡°They say the few tower masters are all level 80 or so.¡±
¡°Should we really play their political games just to ¡®formally¡¯ claim to rule? Let¡¯s just abduct them and haul them back here.¡± The man who was clearly a mage sighed. ¡°I bet we can make them see reason with some good ol¡¯ Aeon¡¯s Perspective.¡±
Ebon nodded. ¡°We will discuss this further. What is the current formal way to be accepted back into the Tower?¡±
¡°A written endorsement and sponsorship by a Resident Mage.¡± Kerifa said.
¡°Issue one.¡± Lausanne declared. ¡°No, issue three.¡±
¡°Why should we-¡±
Lausanne then took out a small crystal of tremendous luster. It was soaked in mana, and seemed to shine. Metteria¡¯s eyes stared at it greedily, and she noticed her two senior mages making a similar expression. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±
Kerifa straightened up and her posture changed into one Metteria knew. It was the one when she wanted to do business. ¡°Well, I would¡¯ve preferred if we started off this way. What are we dealing in, and is that thing for trade?¡±
Lausanne smiled. ¡°Why, yes.¡±
Metteria stared at the crystal, and realized she couldn¡¯t miss out too. ¡°Can I be part of the deal, as well?¡±
Lausanne nodded, and took out two more equally sized crystals. ¡°Would you be interested, Junker?¡±
The old man¡¯s posture transformed in the same manner as Kerifa. ¡°What do you want us to part with?¡±
Lezzan looked betrayed. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t that-¡±
Ebon stared at him, and he instantly realize he had no place here. The mage flicked a finger, and portal opened. ¡°Please leave. This part of the discussion does not involve you. But if you behave and cooperate, there may be other deals we can make with you.¡±
Lezzan nodded and ran through the portal
Lausanne laughed.
Metteria¡¯s eyes never left the shining crystal of magic. Greed truly was universal.
***
294. Floodplains II
Year 274 (part 2)
There were still a few more worlds to explore, but back home, I tried to consider my options with the eleven worlds we have visited so far. I decided it was a good idea to pool all my domain holders and get some preliminary assessments.
It¡¯s likely that the four worlds wouldn¡¯t be too far off.
A group back home started to work on our expected response to the demons. Some of these worlds were in a stable state.
It made me wonder, of course. Despite the peripheral world¡¯s distance to the demon king, not all of them have folded. So, why?
So, I¡¯ve been thinking about the nature of the peripheral worlds, and concluded that the peripheral worlds usually have some kind of ¡®defensibility¡¯. It is this defensibility that makes them into contested zones. Worlds that are hard for the demons to fully capture. Worlds that are also hard for the gods to properly reinforce.
In short, peripheral worlds are not peripheral worlds by distance, even if it was one of the factors, but by sheer survivorship bias. Faraway worlds that cannot be defended, and lacked inherent defensibility meant they would easily fold to the demons.
That meant they were not the gods¡¯ problem any more, since they are then demon worlds.
Worlds that are close to the gods can be easily defended and reinforced, so they remain as normal worlds.
So, peripheral worlds are those that are in limbo. Worlds that are hard for the demons to conquer due to their design, and those that the gods find it hard to reinforce. If these two were true, it was likely that these sorts of worlds would become ¡®peripheral¡¯ worlds, because they would survive the drift.
¡°Could it just be a fluke, that the heroes¡¯ old artifacts and items give the natives some fighting chance to hang on?¡± Lumoof countered.
¡°Of course. But it¡¯s just something I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± It was just a hypothesis, that peripheral worlds become battlegrounds, because they experience longer periods of struggle against the demons.
Worlds that can¡¯t put up a fight die, or fall to the demons, and thus drift out of the god¡¯s influence anyway.
***
***
Lavaworld
¡°How do you feel?¡± Khefri said as Samuel, or Samahiro the elf hero, gained levels battling the demons of Lavaworld.
¡°Better. Stronger.¡± Samuel said while he rested. He gained a level that day. The demon champion was hardly a threat. With more power, they would have the ability to retake Landas from the demon king. The goal was to get Samuel at least into the level 100s, one they achieved fairly easily.
But each new hero had their own style of battle, and Kei, as the new hero-manager, decided that all the heroes needed to have ¡®practice¡¯ sessions. It was something copied from the Valthorns, since the Valthorns had battle simulations in order to form their battle tactics. The heroes, even with their natural gifts, still needed practice.
Samuel also needed to get used to his new abilities, even if the divine gifts of the hero class helped tremendously.
But the demon champions were too weak to be a challenge. Without really pushing it, it was hard for the heroes to really know how well they worked together. Teamwork was one of the few things that the hero class wasn¡¯t very good at.
¡°It is good to have another close combat fighter in our team.¡± Adrian said.
Colette, Prabu, Adrian, Khefri. Four heroes. And now they were five once more.
¡°I¡¯m just happy there¡¯s more of us.¡± Prabu sighed. ¡°I hope they find more heroes on the other worlds.¡±
Samuel looked around. It was better than being alone, for sure. ¡°I hope so too.¡±
The Valthorns concluded it was best to decide which world to clear out its demon king, only after we¡¯ve explored all fifteen worlds. In some states it¡¯s likely there were ¡®stable¡¯ worlds.
So for now, Samuel and the other heroes prepared for war. They repaired old hero items, restored magical defenses.
***
Twelveth
Gigantadragon - The Planetary Dragon
Stella and Lumoof opened the portal and instantly knew this was one of those unusual worlds. A world that existed on the surface of a gigantic planetary dragon, that¡¯s forever chasing a sun. The world was constantly moving, it wasn¡¯t moving in the void sea, but after staring at the edge of its reality bubble for a moment, we concluded it was likely to only ¡®appear¡¯ as if it was always moving. Maybe, it was like a marble spinning in place as water flowed around it.
¡°Well. A giant dragon.¡± Lumoof looked around. They landed on what appeared to be the middle part of the dragon¡¯s body. The part that looked like the head was the brightest, and yet, even on the surface of this gigantic planetary dragon¡¯s body, there was running water, plants, trees, and mountains. ¡°That¡¯s a first.¡±
¡°I wonder whether Aeon¡¯s clone could link to the dragon¡¯s will, then we could possibly gain control, or communicate with it.¡±
¡°You¡¯re concluding that a planetary sized world¡¯s core is a sentient dragon.¡±
¡°Yes. I suppose.¡± Stella said. ¡°A creature of this size-¡±
¡°I think we have to let go of some of our assumptions. It may only possess the physical form of a dragon, but nothing actually requires it to be sentient. It¡¯s movements, it¡¯s mannerisms may just be a set of instructions imprinted to its being.¡±
¡°A machine.¡± Stella sighed, as she scanned around. ¡°I suppose in a world of magic, nothing really requires planets to be, well, planets.¡±
Lumoof nodded, and through him, our senses expanded. I could feel it, and they could too. Heroes. There were still heroes here. And at the same time, we also felt the presence of a demon king. A strong one.
We knew because it¡¯s demonic energies were intense, as if amplified by the natural energies of the land itself-
¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Stella said, as her hands got to work. A portal whirled open, the two stepped through and found a battlefield with strong demons.
Demons that glowed with lines of magic, and they were strong. Champions littered the skies as if they didn¡¯t cost energy. Because they didn¡¯t.
Stella¡¯s magical senses expanded, as she sent magical probes all around.
But here, around the ¡®waist¡¯ of the planet sized dragon, was a battleground between the land controlled by the demons, and the lands controlled by the natives.
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Two heroes, two humans with magical wings, surrounded by smaller drakes, fought back against the demons. They were strong, but the demon king, a giant two headed armored lizard breathed magic glowed with the same strange lines.
¡°I¡¯m not totally certain, but it seems this demon king left parts of itself on ley lines and that ley line energy fed the demon king.¡± Stella said as she landed behind Lumoof. It seemed like the demon king was going to fire a weapon their way as well.
One of the heads opened fire, and a magical blast smashed into Lumoof¡¯s shields. It burned through three layers of shields, but didn¡¯t reach Lumoof. It did make him sweat a little, and so he prepared to activate his shields again. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something.¡±
The other head of the demon king fired, and the heroes dodged the energy blast. It was considerably more powerful than the average demon king, and it¡¯s energies were a blend of demonic energy and the unusual ley lines¡¯ energies. They couldn¡¯t take the hit directly.
¡°Think we should help them?¡± Lumoof looked at Stella, but that question was partly directed at me. I could feel Lumoof¡¯s presence.
The demon king charged at the heroes at a surreal speed, and the two heroes countered with attacks of their own. They were fairly powerful, and their own energy attacks left large scars on the demon king, but those wounds regenerated quickly, it¡¯s health supported by the ley lines.
Stella could feel the demon king¡¯s energies were linked to other places. There were fragments of the demon king spread throughout the tail of this planetary sized dragon. ¡°We should help to destroy those ley line sources, if we want that to happen.¡±
But we couldn¡¯t do that. The demon king closed in on the heroes, and fired an energy blast at point blank. A shot that would¡¯ve killed the heroes.
Lumoof seemingly blinked in front of the two humanoid heroes, and created a massive wooden shield and blocked the attack from the demon king. The blast tore through layers of wooden shields, and the shockwave of the attack sent Lumoof and the two heroes backward.
I could feel the two heroes were tired, and had not much strength to continue this fight. ¡°Let¡¯s rescue the heroes and we can talk strategy later. Taking out the demon¡¯s fragments on the ley lines should be quite easy.¡±
Stella nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll have to carry them out. My void portals won¡¯t work with the heroes.¡±
Lumoof approached the two humanoid heroes. They were battered. They didn¡¯t have much wounds on them, but they spent quite a lot of their energy on the demon king.
¡°Hello, heroes. I think this battle is lost. Let us retreat and we can discuss details later?¡±
The two looked at each other, and back at Lumoof. ¡°Sure.¡±
***
The demon king didn¡¯t give chase, while we followed the heroes away from the battlefield and arrived at a dragonling city, filled with flying drakes and the humanoid dragonlings.
It was a border town, one closest to the creeping demonic corruption, and the home base of the two heroes, for now. They¡¯ve been trying to push back against the demon king for a while, but with just the two of them, they¡¯ve not been able to overwhelm the demon king.
¡°I¡¯m Lumoof, and this is my friend, Stella.¡± The two heroes, Rajah and Wira, were summoned about a year ago. But the demon king and the demons arrived about six years before that, and so they got a five years head start.
¡°The demon king advances slowly.¡± The two heroes explained. ¡°Each time it creeps forward, it tries to capture the ley lines within the ground, and it goes stronger with each captured magical ley line. The two of us couldn¡¯t really beat it, even though we gained levels after each battle. It almost seems as if we¡¯re fighting against a monster we can¡¯t win. Each time we hurt it, it just regenerates.¡±
¡°Demon kings have exceptional regeneration ability.¡± Stella said. ¡°What you experienced isn¡¯t unusual. Does it have minions? I didn¡¯t see any lesser demons beyond the usual hellhounds and critters.¡±
¡°A few. They¡¯re not that weak, though.¡± The heroes said.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you sneak past it and attack the leylines?¡±
¡°It wouldn¡¯t let us.¡± Rajah countered. ¡°You know how this world is like one long dragon. Any time we try to get past that line it knows we are coming. It can tell we are headed there.¡±
Ah. The demons have hero-vision. So for the heroes, they would not be able to sneak past the demon king. Stella looked at Lumoof. ¡°But we could.¡±
The two heroes looked at each other. ¡°Yes. Yes you totally can.¡±
¡°Teleportation?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°Jammed.¡± Rajah added. ¡°The demon king¡¯s energies spread throughout the demon lands and any teleportation spell into that area gets shredded. We can¡¯t maintain a stable portal.¡±
¡°But what defenses do they have?¡±
¡°Mostly the demon lords.¡± Rajah added
¡°Demon lords?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°Demons empowered by the ley lines. They are quite powerful, but nothing like the demon king. We could take one down, but the ley lines are all protected by these demon lords.¡±
¡°Ah. Demon champions. Just terminology differences.¡± Lumoof breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn¡¯t an unusual class of demon, most likely just a demon champion that has a similar energy-absorption mechanism as its parent demon king.
This demon king seemed to rely on capturing ley lines to make itself stronger, and also spawn more powerful demons.
¡°So, actually, we kinda got ahead of ourselves by diving right into the demon problem. What is this world?¡± Lumoof said. The dragonlings of this world, Giganta, looked at us with interest, but ultimately left us alone.
The heroes were more than happy to explain it to us.
The world of Gigantadragon is a long-dragon shaped planet that is perpetually chasing the golden sun. The day-night cycle is determined by the position of the dragon¡¯s head, and the long shadow the head casts over the rest of its body as it moves through in a rotational pattern through space, blocking out the sun. It twirls and moves, as the stars around the world warped and shifted, as if it is forever chasing the sun, but we knew this was an illusion. Nothing was moving.
The land itself is separated into fifteen large segments, each representing like a chunk or segment of the body, as if the body of the dragon is some sort of gigantic centipede of stone and earth, and on those segments are rather normal features such as mountains, seas, lakes, farmlands and so on. Between the segments is a part called the dragon¡¯s skin, essentially an unstable part of the land that frequently experiences fissures due to how two linked segments of the planet-sized dragon moves about as it rotates around the sun.
The tail end is significantly colder than the parts closer to the head, where it is warmer. The magical energies of the ley lines are also stronger closer to the dragon¡¯s head, but there are ley lines throughout Giganta¡¯s body.
The locals refer to the ley lines as the ¡®dragon¡¯s veins¡¯, because they were the energies of the gigantic dragon.
It is inhabited by a mixture of dragonlings, drakes, and humanoids, and the dragonlings worship a mix of Hawa and Gaya.
The dragonlings and drakes have elemental biases that were reflected in their skin. The green-shaded dragonlings and drakes generally had powers of the wood and earth, the reddish, orange dragonlings were fire, and the blue-white dragonlings and drakes were of the water, ice and wind elements.
These three were the main subgroups of dragonlings, and the fire element dragonlings were clustered closer to the head of Giganta and the areas where there were volcanoes and rivers of lava, while the water and earth element dragonlings were more spread out.
Rajah and Wira, as heroes, were the union of the three dragonling subgroups, and they had powers of all three dragonlings, and could empower their drakes. The drakes of Capra or Johann¡¯s Dragon would be fascinating to introduce to the dragonlings of this world, and vice versa, but that would be a later problem.
For now, it is the heroes that would do the moving.
¡°So, when are you two going to sneak past the gates? Are you two like world travelers? Like some hero that finished their quest and now could travel from world to world?¡±
Stella shook her head. ¡°Nothing like that. We¡¯re not even heroes, but let¡¯s say we have an organization behind us.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see it. Is it like some kind of starship flying overhead?¡± Rajah and Wira looked overhead. The sky was somehow filled with stars, even if it¡¯s not a real thing, and the stars looked like they moved in a particular direction.
¡°No. I suppose if we deploy a node here, we can introduce you to the rest of us.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, wait. What about defenses? We¡¯ll have to hold the demon king back. If it senses us disappearing, it may decide to attack! We¡¯re what stands between the demon king and total annihilation of the dragonlings!¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t always happen.¡± Lumoof countered.
¡°It doesn¡¯t? No. We can¡¯t desert our post here. Not even for a bit.¡± The two heroes said with certainty.
Their reaction made Lumoof pause for a while, before he said. ¡°I see. Then we need to discuss our plans before we go ahead.¡±
The two domain holders left the heroes to their own affairs.
¡°What¡¯d you think?¡± Stella and Lumoof met somewhere away from the heroes. ¡°Their hero class compulsions seem a little strong there.¡±
¡°They are fairly high level, that sort of meddling is expected.¡± Lumoof frowned. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to move them, and we¡¯ll have to bring the rest of the heroes here.¡±
Stella merely nodded, and waited for Lumoof to continue.
¡°Or we do what¡¯s sensible. We sneak past the demon¡¯s battle lines and hit the ley lines. That would ensure that the heroes can survive the next conflict with the demon king. Then we bring the heroes. If we leave as it is, it¡¯s likely they won¡¯t survive an encounter with the demon king. I think we should call for some reinforcement, give them some breathing room then decide later.¡±
The void domain holder nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s probably our best choice. We should figure out what¡¯s up with this demon king anyway.¡±
295. Interlude - Peripheral Consequences
295 - Interlude - The Aeonic Landas Era
Landas
Commander Argo looked and noticed unusual expressions in his fellow elves.
They didn¡¯t have the old expressions of exhaustion, or anger, or joy.
Stress.
His fellow elves struggled to keep up with the demands of their new rulers. Fortifications were constructed at breakneck pace, the old farms rebuilt so quickly. The visitors. The divine guides. Argo, in his heart, thought of them as the messengers of heaven.
It was hard.
His people were so used to subsistence. So used to existing scraping by, that the messengers of the Tree God had to teach and reintroduce many new skills. Even the art of building better homes, or processing tools, or recording information.
Landas lost so much of its old administrative abilities and knowledge. But, the change brought by the messengers had been swift, so swift that his people, now no longer existing under the threat of the demons, struggled to adapt.
Stress.
They were all listening to the centaur, talking about recording information, city design, and city administration. Things they never thought about. It didn¡¯t matter when things could get destroyed.
But now, they had to design for permanence. They had to rebuild their military ability, and they were all, truly, stressed.
The old elven soldiers were now trained by the messengers. They were veterans of war. Many of them were old too, and survivors of many demonic attacks.
But they survived without regimented training. They gained their levels, often learning from the older soldiers, and from each other. Their methods and styles all contained habits that didn¡¯t always work.
Now the Valthorns came, and truly, they were a thorn in their backside.
Yet it was not defiance. His people were not defiant. They knew how different the power level were.
Every single messenger Argo met was level 100 and more. They were stronger, their equipment and tactics were well honed. In some ways, they were truly anti-demonic specialists, and they wanted to train them to be like them.
The Valthorn Lord present came with a small army of expertly built golems. A [Golem Master] of some sort, and somehow, the laborers worked to rebuild the city.
¡°Nunarnusk must be rebuilt quickly and better.¡± The man said. ¡°And unfortunately, many of you lost the skills to do it. We will have to bridge the gap. But first, we need all the old designs out of your old archives!¡±
Nunarnusk was an ancient city, and the druids¡¯ magical roots pierced the ground and revealed many such old structures hidden after centuries of war. Many of them were hidden under debris, and over time, forgotten. Their people were too busy surviving war after war that the brief periods of peace didn¡¯t grant them much respite to even think of archaeology.
Stress.
The elders squinted and cracked their heads trying to decipher text from the old days that they struggled. Some of them were written in old White Elven that none of them truly could say they still understood.
Even though the [system] naturally bridged the speaking language, and often granted knowledge of the current lingua franca, the written system drifted over the centuries, and that drift meant old text started to lose legibility after sufficient amount of drift.
But the messengers insisted that they dig anyway.
The messengers were not all warriors. Some were clearly mage-scholars, fascinated to pour over new text and subjects never before seen by their kind.
Commander Argo was nearby when he saw a group of them discuss. They spoke fairly audibly that Argo heard them loud and clear. ¡°Our goals for the excavation are to locate old maps and find old spells. From those old maps, we then locate places of magical study. If we are lucky, we may be able to learn new spells that were previously unique to the White Elves. We will have to leave the originals here with the White Elves as per our caretaking agreement, but what we learn, we take and add to our library of spells. We will also extend our coverage outside of Nunarnusk, if there are any strong leads. Understood?¡±
The rest of them nodded.
Old spells. Argo wondered to himself what old spells did the White Elves know. A part of him wondered whether he should consider it sacred and sacrilegious to let these newcomers go through their history..
But the locals had no strength to resist them.
Nunarnusk and the many capitals were all home to great elven mages during the pre-demonic age.
Though the messengers clearly came to help, it seemed that they also had ulterior motives of their own.
***
Roskor was a hive of activity, as new areas for housing were built seemingly overnight. Gigantic trees turned into homes littered the outer ring of Roskor¡¯s original fort, all meant to house the tens of thousands of refugees that now called Roskor home.
Refugees.
¡°How much food do we have? Do we have enough to feed everyone?¡± Novorosk stared at crowds waiting outside their newly constructed canteens.
¡°Yes, yes.¡± One of the blood elves nodded with a bit of frustration. ¡°Warleader, don¡¯t worry about us. Food will take some time, but there is enough.¡±
¡°Enough? Sure?¡± It was so strange that the word ¡®enough¡¯ still seemed weird to him. It was hard to change from a mindset of scarcity.
For some, it was easier. For Novorosk, it was hard. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt a little lost. The refugees all came to collect and eat food. The Valthorn druids blessed their farms and spawned new fruit trees. There were many new farms, and with more new produce there should be enough for everyone to keep their hunger away.
It wouldn¡¯t be enough for luxury. Not yet. The druids and builders that came to Roskor focused on the staple foods, and together with the refugees, constructed new farms and plantations that would feed them all. It was enough to feed twice their current population, but the variety was still almost non-existent.
They would have to develop more farms with more interesting food varieties in the future.
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Novorosk watched, and wondered what he¡¯ll miss in Roskor if he blinked.
***
¡°I¡¯ve summoned everyone here to discuss a key topic for the future of Landas.¡± Druid Falin of the Valthorns stated, as a treefolk man appeared. They¡¯ve never seen a man made out of a tree, and wondered whether he was some kind of mythical creature written in their ancient text. ¡°This is Lord Kraveik, a senior noble lord from our world. He is visiting temporarily to assist with the economic aspects of Landas.¡±
There were old elves from every surviving city of Landas. Many of the surviving towns quickly consolidated, as most were barely surviving and eager to rejoin a larger society. In time, some will wander out again, but for now, the centuries of war left most elves eager to reconnect with their fellow elves.
¡°Coinage was lost from your old era.¡± Kraveik declared after what appeared to be weeks and months of pouring through ancient text with a small army of assistants and translators. ¡°Most cities and Landasian settlements now function without coinage, everything through a pooled set of resources allocated by the elders. This is familiar to all of you, but that was not how things were in the old era, and your current favors and allocation system will not work once you become proper nation-states.¡±
What followed was Kraveik¡¯s highly summarized brief on the economic history of the old elven empire era.
¡°On behalf of the Valthorns, we intend to restore the coinage system, and for now, we hope that all the different elves adopt a single-coin system until your world regains sufficient scale and industrial output. We will then use this coinage to trade with your cities for the resources each of your cities will then produce.¡±
The elders glanced at each other. They would have to produce something to trade with each other, because the Valthorn force concentrated on defenses, and basic needs. The Valthorns expansion also quickly flagged many potential resource sites, some containing the usual metals, some containing magical resources such as crystals and gems.
There were some rather basic questions from the elders. They asked why trade was needed when each of them were currently self-sufficient.
¡°Two main reasons. Quality, and levels. Specialization allows the creation of higher tier goods, which improves quality. It also raises levels, which allow for an individual to create even better tools and equipment. Trade is necessary, to allow each individual to have sufficient production volume. With sufficient production volume, the system recognizes their specialization and awards levels. Trade creates volume, volume creates improvements and experience, and the maker then gains levels. This is how our world¡¯s industrial base gained power. We hope to replicate it to yours.¡±
Kraviek naturally omitted the part where this was only applicable to the lower level 100s, because the level gains from non-combat activities quickly plateau past level 70 to 90, depending on the type of non-combat class.
They weren¡¯t there yet. Not with their current subsistence level industry.
It would take a decade or two to restore some decent level of trade. It was as much a ¡®mindset¡¯ and ¡®habit¡¯ issue, than just knowing the means.
***
¡°Warleader Novorosk, please, show me the old shield structures.¡± The hero Samahiro or Samuel finally visited their home. He was healthy, handsome as hell, and all the elven females watched him walk by.
Novorosk nodded, pleased to be useful. Novorosk hardly recognised Roskor now, with all the new structures added and old structures cleaned up.
¡°How are things?¡± Samuel asked. ¡°The last time I saw you was on Treehome, my apologies for not visiting sooner. I had to gain some levels.¡±
¡°It is nothing. It¡¯s not like the shields were used at all.¡± Novorosk said.
Samuel nodded, as they finally reached the shield structure. There used to be at least three to four mages here, all feeding their magical energies to support the shield structure. It was an ornate, historical object, made with a blend of metals and crystals, and left by a hero many, many centuries ago.
It was once their lifeline, and Novorosk swore to protect it with his life. Little did he expect to ever see a day that here it stood, unattended, unprotected.
He sighed. ¡°If this era lasts, this thing will no longer be needed.¡±
Samuel shook his head, as he touched it. His star mana pool was larger now, much, much larger than it originally was. He easily fed his star mana to the thirsty object, and the two felt the energies of the shield regain strength. ¡°The wider world is an unforgiving place. Very, unforgiving place.¡±
¡°It is.¡± Novorosk said. ¡°How many such structures have you fixed?¡±
¡°A lot. I lost count. I was told to create new ones, just in case.¡± Samuel sat. ¡°So, will you keep me company, Warleader?¡±
Novorosk nodded. ¡°There is nothing much for a warleader like me to do. Other than train and spar with my fellow soldiers.¡±
For a moment, the two sat in peace.
¡°You should join them.¡± Samuel spoke after working for a bit, and a magical ball emerged before him. Samuel¡¯s [Hero Forge] would create an additional set of defensive equipment, complete with instructions of use. Most defensive equipment also had a passive charging ability, but often the ambient energies are so thin that they take a while to charge.
Novorosk looked out of a small door. It was normally closed, but these days, there was no risk. The view was of a Roskor that was changing.
A warrior would have no place in a time of peace.
¡°I want to.¡± Novorosk said.
Samuel nodded. ¡°You worry for your team.¡±
Novorosk wanted to say no, but then nodded. ¡°Yes. I- I still wonder whether my place is here or there. Or whether I should even-¡±
¡°You should join the Valthorns. I¡¯ve seen what they want to do, and they still need more soldiers. They need far more than you can fathom.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
Samuel looked up, there was a ceiling on top. There were fading paintings made by the old White Elves from an older time. ¡°There are thousands of worlds out there, many of them like ours, struggling to hold on. They all need help. You received help, Warleader Novorosk. It is time to do your part, and help those who are in need.¡±
Novorosk looked at Samuel. He heard of the same briefing, and understood what it meant. ¡°I know. I- I just need some time to tell my team.¡±
¡°They will understand, just as how the rest of the heroes understood I needed time. I, too, was not ready to face the demon king again.¡± The two exchanged glances, and Novorosk understood that Samuel was still afraid of the demon king. The demon king cursed him in their first confrontation, and even though he successfully fled, the curse deteriorated and left him in a near-comatose state, with the Cherry spirit tree trying its best to keep him alive.
The warleader sighed. To the hero, the hero must think his own fears as just something small. ¡°I will.¡±
¡°Good. I¡¯m done. I will have to speak to the mages. Can you call them?¡± Samuel took out a crystal spherical object that quickly made itself at home.
Novorosk felt its magical energies spread out, and another magical protective layer emerged over their Fortress. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover all of Roskor. Not with all the new settlements outside its old walls.
But it was just an additional layer of security. An insurance.
¡°I¡¯ll call them in, Hero Samahiro. Please wait.¡±
¡°Good. I hope the next time I see you, it¡¯s when you are in a different set of uniforms.¡±
Novorosk chuckled at how quickly the elven hero switched allegiances. But he was right. The world is much bigger than he thought. He¡¯d speak to the Druid Falin later, and see whether he could be a new member of the Valthorns.
***
¡°I¡¯ve been wondering when you would ask.¡± Druid Falin had a schedule where he visited each of the different elven cities. There were only about thirty large surviving elven cities, and Roskor was one of them.
¡°You know?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the first, Warleader Novorosk. The Valthorns are already vetting those who wish to join.¡±
¡°How- how many asked?¡±
¡°About a hundred for now. We expect more to join, eventually.¡± Falin patted Novorosk on the shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t give you any special benefits, but you¡¯ll have to join the training system. Once you¡¯re sufficiently trained, you will be sent to where Aeon sees fit.¡±
Novorosk shuddered. ¡°I see.¡±
¡°Many will fail. Being around Aeon is a difficult thing, and minds need to be made of sterner stuff.¡±
Novorosk remembered the sensation of having his mind assaulted. It was something that still lingered until today.
¡°But many of you are warriors who lived a life of protecting your homes. I know you do it for the right reasons, and so, I think you will find it easier.¡± Falin said.
¡°I do?¡±
¡°Those that put themselves out there must be willing to burn a bit of themselves.¡± The druid said.
Novorosk didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why?¡±
Falin smiled. ¡°Because you will be digging deeper into yourself, all the time. You will try to be more, do more. We burn a little bit of ourselves so that together, we shine brighter.¡±
Novorosk thought that sounded familiar. It was a sensation he remembered. He nodded. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±
Falin tapped him on the shoulder again. ¡°I hope to see you soon, Warleader Novorosk. Be prepared for transport.¡±
296. Braided branches
296.
Treehome
¡°It is damned good to be back.¡±
Kafa was happy to be back in Freshka. He took a shower, followed by a long, long dip in a slimy tub filled with fragrances that most humans would find appalling. But lizardfolks enjoyed certain types of scents, scents that reminded them of the village, or city they came from. The rivers they played in. Non-lizardfolks visiting their homes often have to use some scent-nullification artifact, to mitigate the nausea it tends to create.
It was time to hit Gigantadragon soon, and Johann¡¯s party also took a short break.
The domain holders decided it was a good idea to meet up to discuss strategy and tactics.
¡°Well, I think given it¡¯s stronger magical nature, it should be somewhat vulnerable to anti-magical attacks. At least, the stronger anti-magical weapons could disrupt the ley lines enough to temporarily weaken the demon king.¡±
¡°We could test it out.¡± Edna said. They would have to draw up a revised list of equipment and inventory for the coming battle. ¡°But taking that many anti-magic weapons will drain our store.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been using them a lot.¡± Ezar noted. ¡°Production¡¯s not keeping up.¡±
Kafa shook his head, and sipped his drink. ¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Access to that world is seasonal. We don¡¯t have a clone or a node on it.¡± Johann quickly looked up some reports. ¡°You think, I think we should put a node there, at least.¡±
The five domain holders looked at each other. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do that.¡±
Roon frowned, and then looked at Kafa. ¡°I think our thinking about these sets of worlds need to be adjusted. I think the anti-magic sand worlds needs to be turned into one of our Core Worlds.¡±
¡°It has no population. If the entire idea is to strip mine that world for the anti-magic sands, a node tree will be sufficient.¡± Kafa countered. ¡°I¡¯d rather put a clone on this dragon-world. Or that heavily populated world.¡±
¡°Does Aeon want to place a clone on this dragon world?¡± Johann asked. ¡°We seem to be encountering a streak of dragon-type worlds.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kafa countered cheerfully, in a much better mood. He had a glass of his favorite juice.
¡°In some convoluted way, not really. My dragon seems easily jealous, and I¡¯m not exactly sure how it¡¯ll react to it.¡±
¡°There should be some kind of group-benefit from controlling all the dragon-drake worlds together.¡± Edna countered. ¡°The drakefruits of Capra could be used to help the drakes of Gigantadragon. This mutual assistance could result in a powerful force.¡±
¡°Does he want the dragonlings?¡±
Kafa shrugged. ¡°I think all the differences between the world and their special qualities is just a distraction. I think it¡¯s all a little silly in the end.¡±
¡°Why?¡± That made Roon and Johann turned.
¡°In the end, there¡¯s only three things that really matter, at least when we try to fit them in the way we work. Domainholders, crystals, and the craftsmen that produce the equipment and items tos support us. Worlds that can create domainholders, worlds that help produce crystals so we can blow the demons up, and the worlds that can create all the craftsmen we need, so that we can turn resources into weapons.¡±
¡°That relies on the assumption that our bombs continue to work on demon kings. There will be demon kings resistant to bombs.¡±
¡°Resistant, but not immune.¡± Kafa countered, and took a big sip of his juice. ¡°Now, really, if we look at the bigger picture, creating domain holders is really a game of numbers. If the odds of finding someone who can be a domain holder is one in a billion, then we need to get billions on our side. Aeon should therefore claim the worlds that have the highest populations, convert them to our side, and from this large pool, there will be some talents.¡±
That made Edna shift a little uncomfortably. ¡°I don¡¯t generally view it as a game of numbers. Domainholders can emerge from anywhere, and what matters more is the institution designed to support that growth.¡± Edna, in her heart, believed that the ability to reach the domain is actually a lot more common, but it is the institutions around them that encourage that sort of excellence.
¡°But they must have the talent. The special thing that pushes them beyond that last step.¡± Kafa said. ¡°We have it, somehow. But, we need more domain holders, and I say it is not something that can be manufactured. Yes, the infrastructure is important, but we are ultimately looking for gems in a wheatfield.¡±
Edna and Kafa glanced at each other. ¡°So you advocate for the heavily populated worlds?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Kafa stated. ¡°There will be talent. They can be trained into craftsmen. I would choose worlds with large existing populations which can be redirected into other causes. Either as potential domain holders, or as the craftsmen and all that needed for the rest of us. Gimmicks like drakes are unnecessary. I don¡¯t see how they can contribute against the demon king, even if they were stronger. They¡¯d have to be domain holders to even have the right to stand up there with us.¡±
The rest of the four waited for him to continue.
¡°So, if it was up to me, I¡¯d take Delvegard, Magisar, Twin-Continents as my three clone locations. Delvegard because it fits with the second and third goal of supplying equipment. Magisar because it also provides a supply of craftsmen and Twin-Continents because it has the numbers to create domainholders and also craftsmen. The rest can be nodes.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t even have enough nodes.¡± Edna countered. ¡°Let me flip the question around. Which world would you give up on?¡±
¡°How many do we need to give up on?¡±
¡°Three. We have fifteen.¡± Edna said. ¡°Three clone slots, and ten node trees. Two of them are already on Delvegard and Landas, but we can count the one deployed on Landas as something we can move around. If we deploy a node on the anti-magic sand world to boost our anti-magical weaponry, we¡¯d be down to nine nodes, so, we have to leave four worlds.¡±
¡°Deadworld¡¯s a clear choice for the first world to give up on.¡± Kafa continued, but he hesitated with the remaining two. ¡°Maybe- Maybe Landas.¡±
¡°What.¡± That made Roon squirm. ¡°I thought Landas was a good world. Elves!¡±
Kafa stretched, his views colored by his little stint on Delvegard. He wasn¡¯t impressed by the giant colossus fielded by the Delvegardian Dwarves. In his mind, he could crush them single handedly. What use were these things before the demon kings? ¡°The huge mountains we have to climb to repopulate it means it wouldn¡¯t be useful to us so soon. Elves also take a lot longer to reproduce compared to the other races. In a game of numbers, we must churn through recruits to find the gems.¡±
So, even lesser dragons, Or unique types of races. Sure, they have some value, but in the end, it is the domain holders that make the difference.
Edna shook her head slightly, as she remembered their own talks much earlier. The domain holders had to advocate for their worlds, and this was Kafa doing his part.
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¡°Talking about Delvegard is a good point.¡± Johann touched his chin. ¡°Does Aeon intend to keep one of his nodes as a spare? Nodes can be thrown across the void sea, and that has some value. Let¡¯s assume Aeon keeps one as a spare. So there will be five worlds where we wouldn¡¯t have Aeon¡¯s direct presence, and our presence there will depend on the void mages.¡±
The knight stated her view then. ¡°These five worlds without Aeon¡¯s presence should be those that are still the strongest. Worlds that are in least need of our assistance. They can somewhat fend for themselves.¡±
¡°That means the Three-Ringed World and the hero-sword world of Caval?¡± Kafa thought. ¡°Maybe this new Gigantadragon world too, once we slay the demon king.¡±
¡°The rest of them are in pretty bad shape.¡± Edna said. There were pockets of resistance in all worlds, but there were not many structural factors in their favor. Only Caval with all their scattered anti-demon hero-swords, the Three Ringed World with their Purple Darkness, and maybe Shasan, the flooded world had some natural anti-demon advantages.
Roon then asked. ¡°The world of Twin-Continents appears to be stable.¡±
¡°For now.¡± The lizardfolk countered. ¡°To achieve Hawa¡¯s objective, we still have to free up the demon continent. I doubt they actually have the strength to do anything if the demon king lands on their continent, instead of where it currently is.¡±
¡°We need a full dossier on the strength of these worlds.¡± Johann said. ¡°Something we can only conclude once the rest of the Valthorns enter them and start gathering information.¡±
¡°I quite like Delvegard, and I do agree with Kafa¡¯s assessment partially. Our goal for doing this really is to build strength quickly, and yes, numbers help. But we don¡¯t have to ¡®dominate¡¯ worlds like the Twin-Continents. If what we need is resources and talent, that can be through a strong recruitment presence.¡±
¡°I think a clone is a damned good statement to their population.¡± Kafa said.
Roon shook his head. ¡°We are not sure if that¡¯s what impresses them. A large show of force may be counterproductive. Some races are like that.¡±
That made Kafa pause. ¡°I guess that is fair.¡±
¡°But the Three-Ringed world is unique. Maybe Aeon would unlock something unique through his presence there?¡± Ezar suddenly asked. ¡°He does get unique blessings and [soul forge] abilities when he has access to unique worlds.¡±
The other four domain holders looked at each other. ¡°I kinda forgot he got that.¡±
¡°It happens so rarely.¡± Edna laughed as recalling some old facts. ¡°But yes. Aeon also needs a clone presence on a particular world, to get hero fragments when their heroes die.¡±
¡°So if we want fragments, then Aeon must place a clone on Gigantadragon.¡±
¡°Snek¡¯s also petitioning for a node to be placed on Ulara.¡± Ezar added.
¡°So six worlds without Aeon¡¯s presence.¡± Edna said. ¡°Can our void mages support that much troop movements?¡±
¡°People, probably. Resources, no. Our forces there will have to source a lot of native resources. I¡¯ll need to get Central to do the numbers.¡± Roon clarified as it dawned on the five domain holders that they would all be working with fairly limited resources. Void mages spend days to recharge their void mana, and opening portals through the void sea from one world to another consumes a large amount. ¡°By my guess, we¡¯d have to deploy almost all our void mages if we want to maintain near-constant communication and troop movement.¡±
¡°That¡¯ll be hard.¡±
¡°Do we have information on their demon king¡¯s invasion frequency?¡± Edna asked. ¡°I think that should also be something we need to consider for our next battle. We¡¯ve known for a while that it¡¯s exceptionally hard to move large quantities of weaponry through void magic alone. Our experiences on the Demon¡¯s Comet-¡±
¡°Fifteen world¡¯s demonic invasion frequency- I thought we were supposed to collect htat somewhere!¡±
¡°On everyone. Again, suitable for a recruitment-type presence where we don¡¯t have to exert control or continuous presence.¡± Roon said, while rubbing his head. ¡°Alright, alright. Maybe we stop this for a bit and prepare for our next trip.¡±
***
12th World, Gigantadragon
Stella¡¯s void portals brought both Lumoof and Stella to the furthest end of the gigantic dragon¡¯s tail. There were areas that experienced massive magical interference, which Stella soon concluded to be related to the magical ley lines that flowed through this odd shaped world.
The ley line took the form of a massive demonic spire, and it thrummed loudly, as if it was a mountain-sized demonic factory, churning out demons by the hundreds. Each of the demons that appeared were large demonic creatures, some resembling regular demons, some looked as if they were cobbled together from a pile of unwanted designs.
¡°Well.¡± Lumoof¡¯s spiritual eyes zoomed into the mountain, and we saw the way magic of the ley lines were entangled with the demonic energies seen throughout the mountain. At the very heart of the artificial demonic mountain, there was a glowing fragment that we knew immediately what it was.
A fragment of the demon king, in both flesh and spirit.
Lumoof glanced at Stella, and shook his head. ¡°The demon king left a part of him here to tap into the ley line.¡±
¡°Well, then let¡¯s destroy it.¡±
Lumoof nodded, and he activated avatar mode. Power surged through him, as his [Fury] brought a torrent of magically empowered roots through the mountain. I felt it as the roots he summoned slammed through the demonic spires, it crushed everything in it¡¯s path, and then abruptly slammed into something hard.
We focused and saw a gigantic floating scale of a dragon, but with demonic features. It was charged with demonic energy, similar to that of the demon king.
¡°We got company.¡± Stella said. ¡°Look up.¡±
The skies above us seemed as if it was torn apart by the void, and within it, the head of the twin-headed demon king popped out.
¡°Teleportation. The ley lines are also markers.¡± Stella laughed. ¡°It seems the demons are learning from us.¡±
Lumoof rolled his eyes, as the demon king¡¯s two heads charged with magical energy. ¡°A coincidence. Think we should bail?¡±
Stella nodded. ¡°We should hit the demons with numbers. The demon king certainly can¡¯t be everywhere.¡±
The demon king¡¯s energy blast poured out of its two mouths like water from a powerful fountain. It slammed right into a wall of wood, and like a powerful jet of water, it cut through the wall of wood. But the wall of wood was much thicker, and regenerated.
¡°Well, get us out of here?¡± Lumoof said, as his energies charged his shields.
The demon king¡¯s second energy blast also slammed into the shields. We were fairly certain that this demon king¡¯s power was up there, because of it¡¯s energy draining mechanic. Once weakened, it¡¯s likely fairly weak.
Stella shook her head. ¡°Think we¡¯ll have to run. The demon king¡¯s presence is bending void space.¡±
¡°Was that supposed to happen?¡± Lumoof looked at the void domain holder, even though there were two magical jets of energy slamming into the shield.
¡°Well, the demon king¡¯s distortion of the void wasn¡¯t that pronounced normally. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s simply because this demon king has a higher power level. I can manage short ranged teleportation, though. Think this is the strongest demon king we¡¯ve seen on the peripheral worlds so far.¡±
¡°A part of me actually wants to see how much stronger it could get, if it has control of even more ley lines.¡± Lumoof mused idly. A little of my tendency to consider wild outcomes infected my avatar.
¡°Well, can you push back with your shields, and we¡¯ll buy some room to run? Once we¡¯re back with the cavalry, we can hit it with a multi-pronged attack.¡±
¡°What makes you think it doesn¡¯t have countermeasures?¡± Lumoof laughed, as he channeled more of his mana into the multiple layers of [wooden shields]. The wooden shields regenerated rapidly, and then, the floating wooden shields pushed in the direction of the demon king¡¯s two jets of power.
Stella shrugged at his question, but she charged up a large spear imbued with void energies anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll hit it with this, and then we run, got it?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
The two-headed demon king landed on the ground, and Lumoof began to sweat. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had a workout.¡±
¡°You¡¯re doing great! Now push that attack back and let me stun it for a bit.¡±
¡°Got it.¡± Lumoof called on the full power of the avatar, and amplified by the [fury of the avatar] state. The shields grew massively, even as the demon king¡¯s two heads poured its magical power into the blast.
Bit by bit, the wall of wood pushed back.
A small moment of vulnerability opened, and Stella¡¯s spear of void energies flew towards the demon king like a reality distorting bullet. It slammed into the body of the demon king, its explosion sent a messy mix of void energies through the demon king¡¯s body. For a moment, the demon king staggered from the blow.
Lumoof followed with his own attack, as gigantic roots just as large as the demon king appeared from the ground and wrapped around the demon king. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to hold the demon king for long, but the few seconds was enough for the two domain holders to flee far enough and activate a portal.
***
¡°We knew that didn¡¯t work.¡± Wira and Rajah listened as we updated them on our attempt to attack the ley line. ¡°The demon king has some kind of teleportation or beacon ability that allows it to move to its captured ley lines.¡±
¡°Oh. Then we will have to split up and attack together?¡± The heroes were now in a much better state of health, and in the small moment of peace, they worked to repair the hero items scattered throughout Gigantadragon¡¯s defensive lines.
¡°Well, yes. But let¡¯s wait for the cavalry.¡± Lumoof said.
¡°Cavalry?¡±
297. The Tree Towers
Year 274 (part 3)
Gigantadragon
Lumoof stopped at an uninhabited part of the ¡®frontier¡¯. Gigantadragon¡¯s frontier are all battle-scarred battlegrounds, the slender, twisting cylindrical nature of the long serpent dragon¡¯s meant the demons¡¯ path, in some ways, were fairly constrained.
The demons controlled from the middle half onwards, all the way down to the end, or as the locals called it, the tail of the dragon.
All this while, the heroes held the line in the middle. They tried to stop the demon king from gaining control of more ley lines. It did, but the heroes also leveled, so the two forces were in a fairly fragile stalemate.
It¡¯s been over a year since we started the exploration of the peripheral worlds, and as we drew closer to the end of the peripheral scouting campaign, it was also time to flex our strength.
Partly, that desire was also our own self interest. Gigantadragon was home to two living heroes, and we wanted to add them into our fold. Two additional heroes would bring the total to seven, and that was a really respectable strength.
Lumoof looked around, kneeled, and his palm touched the ground. A magical seed emerged from it, and immediately sunk into the ground below. It was a deep greenish object that shone even though there was land and soil.
The node tree emerged out of the basketball sized seed, and spawned outwards into a giant tree. Even though it was just a node, this was the moment when my roots connected with the soil of Gigantadragon.
It knew, and so, I saw visions.
A land of dragons and monsters. Giants. A rough, untamed land with powerful terrain. Volcanoes, and huge tsunamis. Towering mountains. Raw fury. Creation, and destruction. Power.
It was a relief to me. Gigantadragon only took the form of a dragon, but not the mind of one.
Through the node tree, the rest of my domain holders, and the rest of the heroes came over.
¡°I feel a little bad for Alka. He¡¯s missing out on so much.¡± Edna said as she stepped through.
¡°He¡¯ll catch up.¡± Lumoof shrugged. ¡°But you know, Edna. I made up my mind.¡±
¡°Oh? Let me guess, [Towering Avatar]?¡± Edna smiled, as if she already predicted it.
¡°Exactly.¡± Lumoof agreed, as we felt the attention of the demon king on us. The presence of so many heroes must have drawn it¡¯s attention. The demon king could ¡®see¡¯ heroes. It has a mental link to sense those with star mana.
Edna stretched, as she prepared for what¡¯s next. ¡°I too, intend to go for [Martial Paragon]. We¡¯ve seen twelve worlds, and from what I¡¯ve seen in these worlds, our job is to go tall, not wide. The Valthorns and future new domain holders can cover and compensate for the weaknesses of not selecting the ¡®wide¡¯ option, but they cannot compensate for what only we can do. They cannot compensate for raw power against the demon kings. For us two, I believe tall is the way.¡±
¡°Unless you¡¯re Aeon, or maybe Stella.¡± Lumoof smiled. For utility-type domain holders, wide has its advantages. But at this point, both Level 200s stretched, and made their choice. ¡°Well, then let¡¯s greet our demonic foe with our new powers.¡±
¡°Gladly. I¡±d love to see how I fare.¡± The entirety of Gigantadragon felt it, as if the air itself thrummed with power. Their choice was like a shockwave that rippled throughout the fabric of reality.
Edna¡¯s physique form did not change, but from then on we knew she was on par with a hero. In some ways, maybe she was even more.
I suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. This has been a really long journey, and I thought of the little elven girl that grew up with me, and Jura, who died in my service. Edna was living proof that the people too, can match the heroes.
Lumoof¡¯s choice, the [Towering Avatar] was an experience for me, as well as for him. We were already connected, but there is always an opportunity to be even more connected.
¡°Do you not fear for your sense of self, Lumoof?¡± I asked. I feared for the man.
Lumoof stood on that hill, his eyes staring into the demon-controlled half of Gigantadragon. ¡°That choice was gone the day I chose your subdomain. Aeon, it is time to go.¡±
The rest of them could feel the tangible difference in Edna and Lumoof. Roon clapped his hand. ¡°Well, Edna, leave some scraps for us, will ya?¡±
Edna smiled. ¡°Each of us will split up. I¡¯ll be the bait, and handle one spot by myself. Lumoof too. The rest of you will strike other ley lines in pairs. Stella will stay back to give us a path out, just in case.¡±
Kafa, Ezar, Roon, Johann nodded. ¡°I kinda wish Alka¡¯s here. His self-detonation would make things pretty easy.¡±
¡°He¡¯ll have his chance.¡± Edna said. ¡°There are many, many more demon kings to go.¡±
¡°True.¡±
Edna went first. ¡°Send me to the demon king.¡±
Stella smiled. ¡°Got it.¡±
***
Edna stepped through the portal, as close as Stella could send her. She arrived at another part of the frontier, where the two heroes waited. The demon king was just over the hill.
It was getting closer. ¡°You¡¯re the cavalry?¡± Rajah and Wira looked at the female knight.
¡°Part of it. Now, my two heroes, I think you better spend your time destroying whatever demonic structures the demon King put on the ley lines. Get out of here.¡±
¡°But-¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep the demon king occupied.¡±
¡°You? Alone?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Edna¡¯s [Quest Swords] emerged, and her summoned magical knights appeared around her. ¡°I am enough to keep him occupied. Make haste, heroes. There are ley lines to be destroyed, and we don¡¯t know how long the demon king will fall for the trick.¡±
Edna and Lumoof¡¯s role were to be the ¡®bait¡¯. Edna would first attempt to hold the demon king and prevent it from hitting the other locations. With her [Duty beyond life and death], and her various buffs, she would be able to frustrate the demon king significantly.
Lumoof would be the second ¡®bait¡¯ or ¡®harpoon¡¯. If the demon king moved elsewhere, Stella would move Lumoof to that location, where if needed, he would summon my image, and I¡¯d then hold the demon king back with my abilities. That, in theory, should also buy quite a bit of time for the rest of them to destroy even more ley lines.
Between us, we were fairly confident we could destroy multiple ley lines. If it the plan went well, the demon king should be significantly weakened, we would then have everyone converge on the demon king, and destroy it together.
Or, if we were confident, Edna, myself, and Lumoof would take on the demon king ourselves.
I hoped we could replicate that first victory on Lavaworld against the demon king, this time with only domainholders without the spawn bombs.
We wanted this strategy to work. We wanted to know that we were ready.
A success would be all the evidence we need.
***
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And it went swimmingly.
There was something beautiful about watching a plan work perfectly well.
The battle scarred lands saw battle once more, as the fury of a war goddess descended on the empowered demon king. Edna struck first, she attacked with multiple anti-magical spears that disrupted teleportation, and left a few [quest weapons] that created some kind of [anti-teleportation] field.
Her [quest weapons] were all incredibly powerful weapons, collected over her many journeys into her strange pocket dimensions.
The demon king staggered as Edna¡¯s weapons now packed a punch comparable to the heroes, and it was something I could feel in her presence.
Joy.
She was always frustrated that she lacked the ability to deal substantive, ¡®real¡¯ damage.
Not anymore.
Her quest weapons shimmered with her domain¡¯s power, the aura of a blade that was no longer in the mortal realms. The demon king was torn, it clearly sensed something was wrong elsewhere as the rest of my domain holders and heroes swept through the demon controlled lands and easily destroyed the demon¡¯s structures.
The demon king¡¯s other head kept looking elsewhere, as if trying to pull it towards other things. It knew it was needed elsewhere. It wanted to leave, while it¡¯s first head bombarded Edna with attacks.
But Edna¡¯s series of anti magical weapons prevented it from going too far, and the army of magical summons created by the knight ensured its every movement was not without obstacles.
¡°Your opponent is here.¡± Edna roared, as the demon king attempted to create a portal. It crumbled when Edna¡¯s anti-magical spear slammed into the rift and interfered with the demon king¡¯s attempt to open a portal.
Her spears and swords struck the demon king, and pierced through its regenerating skin.
The creature was confused for a moment. A few strikes from Edna later, the demon king realized it wouldn¡¯t be able to reinforce its back lines, and now both heads focused on the knight.
It rained a set of attacks we¡¯ve seen it use against the heroes. The demon king¡¯s attacks were intensely powerful, but she shrugged them off. Its attacks were useless before [Duty before Life and Death].
She traded blows with the demon king, and came out ahead every time.
¡°Is that all you got?¡± Edna said with a laugh. The blast vaporized some of her summons, but they respawned soon enough. ¡°Come on.¡±
Fun.
And slowly, we felt the demon king¡¯s connection to its supporting ley lines fade.
***
¡°I feel like we¡¯re cheating.¡± Roon said as the ley lines were crushed without much resistance. There were demon champions, and even champions that had additional power from the ley lines that put them as ¡®stronger¡¯ champions.
But stronger toys were still toys.
We crushed them. Each of the domain holders swept through ley lines and destroyed them easily.
Tens of ley line spires. Hundreds within half a day. The two heroes could not believe how they managed to waltz through the demon¡¯s battlelines without the demon king¡¯s disturbance.
¡°Will, will your friend be alright?¡± The hero powers worked really well against the demonic spires, but the heroes were worried.
Lumoof shrugged. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Come, let¡¯s keep going. It¡¯ll help her too.¡±
¡°But she¡¯s alone.¡±
¡°Oh she¡¯s not alone. How much time does she have left?¡±
Stella, who was far away and facilitating the movement of people, nodded. ¡°About six days left.¡±
¡°See?¡± Lumoof. ¡°She¡¯d last a battle of endurance and attrition for a week. We¡¯ll get back to her in time.¡±
¡°What are you guys?¡± Rajah said with utmost disbelief.
Lumoof said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to explain while we¡¯re destroying demons. It¡¯s much, much easier if you visit us. You¡¯ll know once we kick this demon king¡¯s backside. After that, you two will go with us to our homeworld. And right now, your vacation ticket is held by that two headed giant lizard.¡±
***
Edna and the demon king traded blows, and progressively, the demon king weakened. Edna [Duty] now lasted for a week thanks to her Level 190 upgrade, and now with her Level 200 power up, her ability to dish damage.
A full day passed, and yet, Edna wasn¡¯t done. She was tired, and her stored magical abilities were spent. It was not the first time she fought without rest or sleep, but fatigue was still ever present.
¡°You know.¡± Stella said from a far. ¡°It almost seems like you can win this alone.¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Edna said. ¡°It¡¯s regenerating almost as fast as I can deal damage. I think I¡¯ve barely cut through half of it¡¯s current form.¡±
¡°You think there¡¯s a second form?¡±
¡°I expect it to.¡± Edna said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why solo heroes rarely win against the demon king.¡±
¡°True, true.¡± Stella said, as she coordinated the magical portals for the domain holders. Unfortunately, Rajah and Wira had to run really quickly since they couldn¡¯t use her portals.
¡°Now if Lumoof gets his ass here, we¡¯d have a chance.¡± Edna said with a grunt. Her sword just made a deep gash in the demon king¡¯s neck, but it was already regenerating. ¡°I could use Aeon¡¯s spiritual interference.¡±
¡°Hang in there for a bit. We¡¯re getting rid of the demonic spires.¡± Lumoof countered through the shared messaging network.
Gigantadragon is a large place, and even if it was just a constant set of explosions and battles at every single location, there were still a lot of spires and corrupted ley lines that it would still take a while.
¡°Oh well.¡±
On average, it took the team just about half an hour, per team, to fully destroy one single corrupted ley line. There were hundreds of these corrupted ley lines all over Gigantadragon. Just locating the ley lines without the demonic interruptions took some time too.
¡°Well, we missed it.¡± Lumoof said, as Edna retreated on the sixth day. The demon king was weakened considerably, as we¡¯ve managed to remove about two thirds of the ley lines. It was enough that the demon king lost a third of its strength. ¡°But I think we¡¯ve achieved what we needed. All we need to do is recharge for a week or two, then this time, we hit it with everything we got.¡±
Edna shrugged, but it truly impressed the two heroes.
¡°You were flat out amazing, milady.¡± Wira said, his eyes seemed to outright shine in admiration as they returned to see.
¡°I need to rest for a bit.¡±
¡°How many times can you do that?¡±
¡°Five times a year. Which is a little too much, I think.¡±
¡°Which is plenty.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°It¡¯s so damned overpowered.¡±
¡°Not as overpowered as being able to respawn and split yourself where I can¡¯t find you.¡± Edna smiled.
***
After the attack on the ley lines, there was finally time to properly introduce the two heroes to the rest of them. We introduced the two heroes to their new peers.
The heroes met, and mingled. What happened was similar to what used to happen. Surprise, joy, and a sense of comradeship. It helped Samuel to feel like he wasn¡¯t alone. From five heroes, now there are seven.
Seven heroes would definitely help. So, while the heroes rested, mingled, and swapped war stories, the domainholders readied for a second strike at the twin-headed dragon demon king.
Edna and Lumoof wanted a shot at the demon king by ourselves. A battle, only with all the domain holders. A chance to prove that we could do it without the heroes, even without the beneficial terrain.
The seven domain holders gathered, and prepared to strike. The demon king lost a third of it¡¯s strength, and with my domain holders fully healed, it was time to put our strength to the test.
Were we ready to fight a demon king without our beneficial advantages?
***
The two headed demon king stood waiting, and Lumoof grinned at the already weakening king. ¡°Aeon, are you ready?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯ve fought demon kings over the years, and just like my domain holders, it is now a chore. With Lumoof¡¯s new powers, I expect the creature to be fairly easy to defeat. As it was now, it was not much stronger than an average demon king. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Lumoof moved first.. His first act was close in, as close as he could get, and immediately summon my presence. I emerged almost instantaneously, an experience similar to a [clone].
[Aeon¡¯s Spirit].
But I wasn¡¯t real. Not the way a clone is, instead, it was a magical replica, and my form was clearly magical, because it was somewhat transparent. An outline of magic, like a shadow. Despite the appearance, it carried the full weight of my presence, as my all of my aura spread throughout the land. My presence was like a heavy blanket that coated everything around us, all the lesser demons were rendered immobile.
But my attention was on the demon king, and instead, I felt pity. It didn¡¯t feel that strong. Not with its weakened state. One of its heads blasted a beam of energy at my trunk, but my wooden shields blocked it easily.
My powers were stronger thanks to all my levels and Lumoof¡¯s newer buffs, and my roots surged out of the ground. My roots were massive things, as if a gigantic tree far larger than the demon king had somehow transformed into the tentacled limbs of a wooden kraken. So, my roots wrapped around the demon king, and drained its mana.
The demon king struggled, and found itself losing the exchange of both strength and magic.
At that point, Lumoof looked at Edna. ¡°I think we¡¯re probably going to be unnecessary very soon.¡±
But Edna¡¯s face was one of utmost happiness. She was delighted to see how my spiritual roots easily overpowered the demon king, and how I drained the demon king of it¡¯s energies. ¡°I consider this a part of the journey. If Aeon can¡¯t even do this, how do the rest of us hope to face what¡¯s on the demon sun? Come, let¡¯s make this swift. We got more worlds to clear.¡±
I felt the demon king attempt various things to free itself, but I knew for certain now that I was strong.
My spiritual energies tampered with its ability to regenerate. My roots drained it of its mana. My roots punched holes in its flesh.
And my domain holders killed the helpless demon king without much of a scratch.
It was easy. So, incredibly easy.
We won.
I gained two levels.
[You are now Level 267]
But I didn¡¯t mind. Trivializing demon kings is what I should do as the leading God of my growing pantheon. It would be a battle we¡¯d have to fight on more worlds.
But this was a boost of confidence.
We now know we can do it ourselves.
298. Contemporary Considerations
Gigantadragon
Gigantadragon was freed from it¡¯s demon king, and it was the beginning of our ¡®occupation¡¯ of the peripheral worlds. We would need to hold off the demon kings until Hawa could fulfill his end of the bargain, and so Lumoof wanted to take our battle to the demon kings. We would now plan to remove the rest of the demon kings, and gain levels in the process.
From this battle, Lumoof and Edna gained one or two levels too. Their experience gain was slow, and at this point, they needed the hero fragments. The subject of hero fragments did feel a little sensitive. I didn¡¯t want the heroes to die, they were a force I could deploy quite easily with Lumoof functioning as a mobile warp gate.
¡°Y¡¯know, I never quite realized how overpowered you two are.¡± Roon said. His contribution in the final battle against the demon king was decent, but largely, the battle was fought by myself, Lumoof, and Edna.
Lumoof laughed. ¡°It was the right set of enemies. Aeon did the bulk of the work.¡±
¡°I genuinely thought the demon king looked quite pitiful, when it struggled against Aeon¡¯s big ass roots. It felt like the demon king was a whale struggling against a gigantic kraken.¡± Stella quipped, easily amused. ¡°But boys, let¡¯s clean this up, and we have more to do.¡±
With the demon king out of the way, the domain holders and heroes quickly swept through the rest of Gigantadragon and eliminated all the remnant demons. There were still demonic spires all over the place and this process took them about six weeks.
But, the demons were gone, and we saw the pathway through the void sea linked to a demon world crumble. These days, with Stella¡¯s upgraded abilities, she could get a ¡®code¡¯ on the demon¡¯s rift, so we could still locate these worlds.
¡°How many more levels before you get your level 200 ability?¡± Lumoof looked at Stella.
¡°A lot more. I¡¯m about to hit level 180. Hopefully I will get a decently strong [domain ability] then.¡± The void mage continued. I knew we needed her at level 200. Given how strong Level 200 abilities are, it¡¯s likely some of the drawbacks of the void mage classes could be mitigated with her higher levels.
Gigantadragon was beautiful. Without the demon¡¯s presence, the natural weather of the tail-half of the planetary dragon returned. The demonic spires no longer drained away the magical ley lines, and instead, those ley lines returned to their natural state, and transformed into gigantic magical sculptures. The ground beneath them transformed just as quickly, as the space around the ley lines were warped into doorways that led into dungeons.
The tail half was the ¡®frontier¡¯ for the dragonlings of Gigantadragon, at least, before the demons conquered it. Now, there were a few ancient cities buried under the demonic sludge from a time long before the demons.
The domainholders had to keep moving. There were three more worlds to go.
***
A switch flipped in the minds of both Wira and Rajah when the demon king died, and suddenly, they seemed normal. What was an almost crazy obsession with the demons vanished, and instead, both of them looked thoroughly exhausted. As if their minds were forced to maintain a high level of performance for too long that now, the sudden emptiness just made them unsure what to do. In a way, we contributed to that. We defeated the demon king, not the heroes, and so, they lacked the sense of achievement.
They were now willing to travel with us back to Treehome, to visit the old hero journals, and for once, have a normal life.
They actually seemed keen.
So, now that Lumoof could function as a mobile teleportation pad, all he needed to do was touch them, and I could send them to Treehome.
***
Their visit went pretty much as expected. The heroes experienced a little culture shock to see Treehome now resembling a solarpunk version of their human cities. It made me feel happy to see how excited the existing heroes were, to introduce the two newcomers to Freshka.
Freshka was pretty much the most advanced city we know of, with many magical equivalents of facilities known to man.
Freshka is the central node for transport between the worlds, and also the political headquarters of everything related to the Valtrian Order. Naturally, this meant a need for embassies, and various support staff associated with such diplomatic events.
The confluence of diplomacy, and the high amounts of youths receiving education in the multiple colleges throughout the greater Freshka region led to the rise in entertainment and consumer options similar to the heroes¡¯ own homeworlds, and a vice network that we controlled.
It was a guided development, primarily driven by our intelligence department. Such entertainment and vices meant these officials and embassies were lulled into a sense of familiarity and comfort. It loosened up their guards. It was easier to obtain a favorable agreement when it was whispered to their ears by a charming companion. Theaters, plays, concerts, bars and clubs, forums. Nobles everywhere were mortal after all, and we used both carrot and stick to get what we wanted.
The heroes were wined-and-dined, and treated to entertainment options that reminded them of home.
The change happened so slowly over the years that the existing heroes didn¡¯t notice how they were now sucked into the entertainment culture and lifestyle.
Even Kei didn¡¯t notice, until Rajah and Wira both looked at her and asked. ¡°Is this- is this all really okay? It¡¯s fine for us to get free entry and reserved seats at these entertainment areas?¡±
Since most of the entertainment options in Freshka were indirectly controlled by the Valtrian Order, we set up special rooms meant for ¡®unique situations¡¯. This meant private viewing balconies, special guestrooms and all that sort of thing, for my domain holders and also for the heroes.
Kei paused, and that was when it hit her that we were now doing what the churches did to her peer, Alvin. She gulped. ¡°Yes. It is.¡±
***
Thirteenth - Khubor
The World where the Dead Do Not Move On
Roon, Johann and Ezar frowned when the portal placed them right in the center of a mountain of bones.
¡°Man.¡±
There were bones everywhere, and they watched as the magical gray clouds rained bones of different shapes and sizes around them.
Roon stared at Johann, and Johann stared at Ezar. ¡°Who was it that said worlds can¡¯t get any weirder after Lumoof¡¯s giant dragon? Here, exhibit one. A world that rained bones.¡±
¡°Where do they come from?¡± Ezar looked at the rain of bones smashed into his magical artifact. The bones were surprisingly hard and smashed into the ground. The ground itself was covered in bones.
¡°Magic, I bet. Or some Core shenanigans.¡± Roon said.
The ranger picked up some of the bones that rained, and noticed they weren¡¯t actually animal bones. They were just shaped like bones, and made of the same stuff. There was a kind of magical cloud above them that produced these ¡®bones¡¯.
¡°It is probably more appropriate to call them bone-stones, than actual bones, since they are just bone-like, but not actually the bones of an animal or monster.¡± Roon said, as he examined them in greater detail.
¡°Fair, fair. That¡¯s probably a better way to wrap our heads around it.¡± His fellow domain holder said, as they kept exploring. The clouds of the world were a storm of magic, they could feel the intense magics coming from their bonestone-creating-clouds. ¡°Well, think we have living beings to see-¡±
That was when a spirit, a wight, appeared before our very eyes.
¡°You three are far from the lands of the living. Return to the lands of the living, the deathlands are not for you.¡± The spirit¡¯s voice was like the whisper of the wind.
Roon looked at the wight. There were a million things he wanted to ask, but decided not to. ¡°Could you point us the way?¡±
The spirit pointed. ¡°That way, if you walk at the normal living pace, you will reach the Kingdom of Murklands in six days.¡±
¡°Very well. What lies in the deathlands?¡± Roon continued with his question.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°The nations of the departed spirits. It is the land where creatures like me form our nation.¡±
¡°Heck.¡± Roon said, a little surprised. ¡°Well, I suppose we should go that way, though, I think this world would probably interest Lumoof.¡±
***
Roon, Johann and Ezar eventually did encounter the Kingdom of Murklands, which was not a special kingdom. It was only one of many humanoid kingdoms, and throughout the area, all the ¡®living¡¯ kingdoms came to be known as the Kingdoms of the Living. The land of the living were kingdoms of faith, where the priests of Hawa and Gaya roamed.
When the folks of the living lands die, they ship their corpses over to the deathlands. This was organized by a group that existed with the support of the Hawa and Gaya temples, the Deathmen. The Deathmen would ship the corpses to the Deathlands, and the Deathlands would pay for their services in goods from the Deathlands.
¡°They trade with the dead.¡± Roon explained over our communication network.
¡°I¡¯m headed there now.¡± We both had a million and one questions, and so, my avatar quickly headed over.
The Living kingdoms were fairly normal, they were mainly humans, but there were some slightly longer lived dwarves and halflings, organized around kings and supported by priesthoods.
But as Lumoof arrived, he could see something different about this world. It was something only obvious to Lumoof, and yet, he wondered whether the local priests knew.
¡°Not all souls escape this world. Instead, for the corpses that were shipped to the Deathlands, their souls, still partly bound to their flesh, are turned into these spirits.¡± Lumoof theorized. Their corpses are linked to their souls. Though the soul may have ¡®separated¡¯, if someone meddles, it is possible to pull the soul back into the corpse.
It¡¯s a feature that worked both ways, just like how we were able to restore souls from old personal items of a person, because there were fragments of that person¡¯s soul in them.
¡°I believe there is a domain-level individual deep in the Deathlands.¡± Lumoof said, and so, for once, our suspicions were true. Once we paid attention, we could sense it, the small ripples of space of a domain holder. Deep in the Deathlands, there¡¯s clearly something, or someone, that could tamper with souls to create these wights and deathlings.
¡°Could it be friendly?¡± Roon said.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°The only way to know is to go and see it. And I¡¯ll only do so when I am at full strength. Just in case.¡±
Fighting another domain holder is an iffy thing, and we are not exactly sure what kind of powers this other domain holder had.
Domain holders, at least those we¡¯ve met, were all slightly eccentric existences that didn¡¯t like to be surprised. So, we knew from experience that I couldn¡¯t just barge into the depth of the Deathlands and be well received. So, we needed to figure out a way to send a message, one that would be favorably received by the other side, and we could then meet to truly understand them.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come back in a while.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°I¡¯ve got other places to go, but for now, the three of you, maybe help to figure out what¡¯s up with the heroes, and do research on past alliances, discussions and communications with the Kingdoms of the Dead. The goal is to establish communication. Peacefully. Without scaring them.¡±
¡°Got it, boss.¡± Roon said.
My avatar rolled his eyes, but we knew it was in jest.
The kingdom of the living occupied two thirds of this world, while the remaining third, was the kingdoms of the dead. The demon king, occasionally, would spawn in the deathlands, and those in the Deathlands would band together to destroy it.
When this happened, it was called the ¡®Week of the Waking Nightmares¡¯. For a week, people all over the world would have nightmares, and it almost seemed as if spirits appeared all over the world.
This was a fact that worried me, because it suggested that the Deathlands had a weapon powerful enough to destroy demon kings, though, from what we¡¯ve seen so far, the Deathlands stuck to itself. If it could take on demon kings, then it could definitely take on domain holders.
Maybe it was something like the blood sacrifices and the hex bombs of the blood mages, because whatever was in the Deathlands clearly knew how to manipulate souls and turn them into wandering spirits that couldn¡¯t move on in their cycle of reincarnation.
It was possible this domain holder got further along the path of weaponizing the incredible powers of the soul. If so, maybe the power of the soul is what we need to destroy the demon sun.
Anyway, information from the living nations was scarce. They didn¡¯t have insights into the nature of the deathlands, and all their interactions with the Dead Spirits were for trade and commerce. The Dead Spirits didn¡¯t reveal about the intricacies and inner workings of the Deathlands, though communication was clearly possible with these Dead Spirits.
The heroes, if summoned, would arrive at the kingdoms of the Living, and the Dead Spirits are usually not hostile. Their first instinct is to chase the living out of the deadlands, and only raise their weapons if such actions were repeated and their attempts to remove the living were stopped.
There was, to our surprise, still one hero surviving and living in this world. He defeated the last demon king that arrived about twenty years ago with the aid of the Deathlands, and since then retired to the countryside.
A man who clearly wanted to live and have a family.
***
Roon, Johann and Ezar discovered the hero living in a quiet, picture-perfect valley surrounded by a farm. There were cows, chickens, fields of vegetables and wheat. There were three beautiful children running about. The oldest one looked like he was in his teens.
When they knocked on the door, a tall, well built man greeted them. He was dressed like a farmer.
¡°Greetings. You are the hero, Gideon?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Gideon, yes.¡± The hero and the three exchanged looks, and the hero eventually added. ¡°but no, I¡¯m no longer an active hero.¡±
¡°No longer?¡±
¡°Well, no.¡±
Roon looked around. ¡°Can we come in and talk? We don¡¯t mean your family any harm.¡±
Gideon looked around, and back at them, and shrugged. ¡°Well. No weapons, but sure. Come on in.¡±
***
The home was fairly simple as hero-homes went. It didn¡¯t have the common features of hero homes seen elsewhere. It was something Roon immediately noticed, at least compared to the homes of Colette and Prabu, or Khefri or Adrian.
Instead, it was clearly designed to resemble a picturesque farmhouse. It had large glass windows that allowed plenty of sunlight in, and a view of the valleys. It was functional, and almost entirely made of wood.
¡°A beautiful place.¡± Roon said. ¡°Certainly unlike the homes of the other heroes.¡±
¡°Thank you. Come, there isn¡¯t much, but you can sit.¡± Gideon¡¯s kids noticed, and looked worried. They came over, but the hero patted their head. ¡°Go to your rooms, kids. Daddy gotta talk to some visitors.¡±
The three nodded, and Gideon¡¯s wife, a beautiful mature lady with golden blonde hair, followed their kids into their room.
¡°You¡¯re not from here, are you?¡± Gideon said frankly.
¡°Yes.¡± Roon sat and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s sort of two reasons why we came, so we¡¯ll get right down to it.¡±
Gideon sipped his mug of water. ¡°Well, sure.¡±
¡°One, we¡¯re recruiting heroes. We¡¯ve formed a coalition of heroes to fight the demon kings across worlds, and we¡¯d like you to join us.¡±
Gideon stared at Roon, and sipped his mug again. ¡°So there are worlds other than this one that also have demon kings?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°How many have you recruited?¡±
¡°Seven. Well, five, but two¡¯s new and maybe they¡¯ll join us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a lot of power in one team.¡± Gideon said.
¡°True. But there are even more worlds.¡± Roon said.
Gideon paused, and then sighed. ¡°Honestly, you came a little bit too late. I¡¯ll tell you why, but what¡¯s the other one?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been to the deathlands?¡±
The hero stared at Roon, this time seriously. As if judging him. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°What¡¯s in the deathlands?¡±
Gideon paused and shook his head. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°We sense something unusual in the deathlands. It is as if souls were captured and unable to move on. There¡¯s a strange emptiness in their lands.¡±
¡°I see you already have an inkling. What is in there, is an undead demigod. The Osroids.¡±
Roon leaned forward. Both Johann and Ezar looked around, as if anticipating a sudden strike. ¡°What else do you know about them? We hear some really fascinating tales about the deathlands, and we want to know what we are dealing with, and whether it is friendly.¡±
Gideon frowned. ¡°Friendly? It¡¯s an undead god that turns corpses into spirits, vampires and zombies.¡±
¡°And yet it¡¯s undead seems well behaved.¡± Roon asked, a little puzzled.
¡°The dead need the living to replenish its souls and spirits. This is the balance of the world. If they didn¡¯t need the living they would have invaded us and killed us all. This peace exists entirely due to the ancient agreement by the church and the deathlands to sell corpses to the deathlands.¡± The hero said with a sigh.
¡°What about the demons?¡±
¡°Just an enemy of my enemy.¡±
Roon, Ezar and Johann glanced at each other. ¡°Well, I suppose only Lumoof can handle such a thing.¡± Roon then turned back to face the hero. ¡°Well, last question, why won¡¯t you join us?¡±
¡°Simple. The Osroids gave a simple way to destroy the demon king. It ripped a portion of the [hero] class out of my spirit, and used it to make a bomb.¡±
All three domainholders were stunned. It took a good thirty seconds before Roon¡¯s shocked face turned into a smirk. ¡°Oh boy, Lumoof¡¯s gonna have a field day with this one.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I think our patreon god probably has a lot of similarities to these Osroids. And so- you have an incomplete [hero] class?¡¯
¡°Yes.¡±
***
The three met outside.
¡°What the fuck¡¯s going on here?¡± Ezar cursed. ¡°That dude¡¯s a half-hero or some shit?¡±
Roon nodded. ¡°Not what I expected, but I suppose so.¡±
Johann looked around. ¡°I think, what¡¯s really important to know, is whether the Osroids are some kind of threat to us.¡±
Ezar looked a bit bewildered. ¡°I am guessing it¡¯ll be yes. It¡¯s some death-manipulating domainholder with some soul-type shenanigans.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s- let¡¯s not pass judgement so quickly. Just because it¡¯s using death power doesn¡¯t make it bad. What it¡¯s doing now seems fairly proper. It trades for corpses, uses souls from corpses to create it¡¯s people, and used the hero¡¯s class somehow as a weapon.¡± Roon countered. ¡°I- I think we should let Aeon decide on this.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t get it. Hawa clearly considers this world to be a peripheral world, and it ¡®loses¡¯ faith points sustaining this world. Yet it clearly doesn¡¯t seem like it needs help, if this Osroid can use the hero class to destroy demons.¡±
¡°It still needs the hero class to make the weapon, and that costs faith points. I reckon the act of summoning is what drains most of the faith points.¡± Roon countered.
¡°So, the way to ¡®save¡¯ Hawa¡¯s faith points is to blow up demon kings before new heroes are summoned.¡±
¡°Yea. Pretty much.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll need to make an agreement with this death-god in the deathlands.¡±
299. Second to Last
299.
The Fourteenth World - The Floating Islands - Terras
The land of the floating islands immediately evoked a sense of wonder when both Stella and Lumoof arrived. It was a world where it was a set of massive floating islands, and the land below was an infinitely dense and thick layer of white fluffy clouds.
¡°You know, when I was a child, I used to imagine worlds like this where everything is a floating island, and it¡¯s just a sea of white clouds. Each of us have our own islands, and we¡¯d visit each other on flying ships.¡± Stella said.
Lumoof didn¡¯t relate. His childhood wasn¡¯t that vibrant. As a native of Treehome, his childhood was mainly trying to be useful to his parents. When they still lived. ¡°I can¡¯t say I understand, but it is quite beautiful.¡±
The sun was bright, and somehow floated overhead, and they noticed a strange contraption around the sun. It was always visible, a large gigantic screen that orbited around the sun. Strangely, there was a gigantic steel like structure that connected the screen to the sun. When I saw it, my first thoughts were those planetary models commonly found in schools.
Stella stared at it, as if trying to make sense of it. ¡°In a way that¡¯s somewhat similar to the Three-Ringed World, this world¡¯s day-night cycle is controlled by that screen thing. It moves to block the sun.
Lumoof found it funny. ¡°As if this world is a toy.¡±
¡°I mean- I suppose you could say that.¡± Stella looked around and found bridges made of clouds that linked the island to other islands. Magical clouds. ¡°Man, this world is a fairytale.¡±
I felt my avatar¡¯s sense expand, but because as a tree, our senses mostly propagate through the ground, and so it ends where the island itself ends. I tried to grapple with what I felt, and studied how the large islands floated, only to discover they were not exactly floating.
They were suspended. I felt a strange, divine-law type of string, and they bound each at every single island. They were commanded to float where they are, so they did. In short, [divine] power commanded the islands to float in the sky, and the world obeyed.
¡°Could you do something like that someday?¡± Stella asked, once she realized the presence of divine power.
¡°I think it¡¯s not that simple. Such a command must have been woven into the world when it was created.¡± The idea of commanding the islands to do so now seemed silly, and wasteful. It¡¯s likely that there was some kind of ¡®foundational law¡¯ that made it happen, which is why it persists even when these worlds theoretically drifted away from the range of gods.
¡°So, that sounds like there¡¯s a god-commanded divine laws, such as those commanded by Hawa, and a set of ¡®neutral¡¯ or ¡®core-bound¡¯ divine laws, that are specific to each world¡¯s creation. Right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s my guess.¡±
Stella nodded. ¡°And I found living folk.¡±
***
Humans. Regular, normal humans living almost idyllic, peaceful lives. They were farmers, farming on incredibly fertile lands. The crops they planted were familiar, though it was more of a mixed farm, with small patches of everything.
There was magic in the land itself, it almost seemed as if the plants were growing before our very eyes, as if they were spurred on by the blessings of a level 70 to 80 druid.
¡°Oh hey there, it¡¯s been a while since we had visitors, but how did you arrive? I didn¡¯t see any flying ships or balloons.¡±
¡°We walked.¡± Stella answered.
¡°Oh, through the cloud bridges? I¡¯m surprised people still do that.¡± The farmer said. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡±
¡°We¡¯re lost. Could you help us out?¡±
There were thousands, or even tens of thousands of floating islands, some larger, some much smaller. There were a set of larger floating islands known as the ¡®Main Islands¡¯, and these housed most of the humans in this world.
The main islands were rich in all sorts of magical resources and metals, while lands further away lacked most natural resources and metals.
Humans were the only population, but there were monsters on some of the islands, and these islands became known as the magic islands or dungeon islands, because these islands were the locations that spawned monsters. Monsters generally stuck to their own islands, though occasionally, flying monsters did attack their surrounding islands.
The main islands were home to a series of kingdoms and empires, and wars were frequently fought between them. The further islands, like the one that they visited, were generally those that escaped the constant warfare of the main islands.
Farming was somehow easy in all the islands, and each island usually had a series of naturally occurring springs that created lakes and rivers.
¡°Some of these worlds just absolutely defy understanding. How does the water cycle work in a world where everything¡¯s on floating islands?¡± Stella rubbed her hair in her guestroom. The farmers were friendly, and were more than happy to let them use the guestroom once it was clear they were not hostile.
Lumoof didn¡¯t answer her. He knew her long enough to know that she just needed to vent when things just didn¡¯t match how she understood reality.
Stella slapped herself gently. ¡°Alright, alright, I know, each world has their own rules. Each world, own magic. Got it. Quirks of their reality. This is just how this world works.¡±
My avatar nodded. ¡°I do foresee all these different rules of different worlds will make it hard for the Valthorns to swiftly adapt to each world. They will have to spend some time to acclimatize themselves to how each world behaved. I might forget, if I¡¯m suddenly sent back to say Landas, or say Gigantadragon. Or that hex-grid world where everything is controlled by divine laws.¡±
¡°So, cultural familiarity is going to be a big issue?¡±
¡°Not just that, I could easily imagine representatives from each of these worlds are unfamiliar with the quirks of other worlds, and their well-meaning suggestions thus come off as weird or unhelpful to others.¡±
Stella paused. ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re talking about the Order¡¯s structure across all these peripheral worlds.¡±
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been on my mind. Knowing Aeon, the structure of how the Order will function is highly likely to be delegated to a person that will be based long term in that world. That warps our preferences, our understanding, especially non-domainholders who are not protected from the divine laws of each world. I imagine that anyone who spends a few years full time at any of these peripheral worlds will get used to the local laws, that they lose touch with how things work elsewhere.¡±
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¡°So the Order expansion is dead underwater.¡±
¡°Not exactly. I mean, not all of these changes are that dramatic. The system and our powers still work on them. Just- I suppose there will be some expectation and cultural differences that will emerge.¡±
¡°We already have those differences.¡± Stella said. ¡°That¡¯s why Branchhold recruits and Treehome recruits have slightly different attitudes.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be worse with these peripheral worlds.¡±
¡°Eh. It¡¯s just the urban-rural gap with even more skin. I¡¯m sure it can be solved. We¡¯ll just need our own internal diplomats.¡±
Lumoof gave Stella a look of disapproval, and she eventually sighed. She rolled on her own little bed. ¡°I know, we¡¯re building even more bureaucracy into the system. We¡¯ll use Aeon¡¯s [dream academy] and work around it. Frequent trips to Treehome to soak up our culture. That¡¯s what large guilds, corporations and governments do. I think it¡¯s too early to tell. Branchhold seems to integrate well, so far.¡±
¡°So far.¡± Lumoof said as he looked out the window of the guestroom. The gigantic screen was starting to cover a part of the sun, creating a strange dimming of the world. ¡°Which is why I fear for worlds that won¡¯t be linked via a node or a clone. They will stray from Treehome¡¯s supervision. Even with us present, we can¡¯t hope to match Aeon¡¯s trees.¡±
Stella decided to hop off the bed and walked to the window. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s quite a view.¡±
¡°It is. It¡¯s like an eclipse.¡± The seemingly white clouds now glowed, as if the world around us turned into darkness. Yet, it wasn¡¯t total darkness. The clouds themselves glowed.
¡°Imagine it happening every day.¡± Stella said in a rare moment of wonder. ¡°Must feel pretty normal to the people here. The clouds are pretty.¡±
¡°A sea of clouds that glowed.¡± My avatar also took the time to bask in the beauty. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to see it from the edge.¡±
***
The farmers didn¡¯t stop them, but the two walked uninterrupted to the edge.
Demon kings, at least in the past, used to land in special islands. It seemed that every time the demon king was about to arrive, a new island would appear. That island was known as the ¡®demon¡¯s island¡¯, and it was a magical creation. A dark red glowing island that floated above all the other islands.
Then, when the hero arrived, a chain of smaller islands would appear that allowed the hero to go and meet the demons.
The demons were unable to use the cloud bridges, so they were often trapped on their own islands. It is only when flying demons appeared that they could expand to the other islands. When that happened, it was a huge disaster that caused a lot of deaths.
¡°These islands protect them.¡±
¡°In the same way the oceans protected us.¡± Stella said. ¡°Look at these clouds. They feel like they are partly magic.¡±
¡°They probably are.¡± Lumoof nodded, as he observed the clouds floating from place to place. Some of them were fluffy, some took the shape of streaks.
¡°The winds are pretty constant. They have a defined direction.¡± Stella suddenly noticed. ¡°They all move in the same direction, at the same speed.¡±
¡°Worldly magic.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°I wonder what the last world would be like.¡±
Stella decided to just sit down at the edge. She wasn¡¯t afraid of heights, and somehow, she knew she wouldn¡¯t fall. There was a fundamental divine law that operated in this world, a kind of specific force unique to this world. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d actually see a sight like this.¡±
¡°There was the stormworld with a floating island, remember?¡± Lumoof said.
¡°That one- that one wasn¡¯t this beautiful.¡±
¡°Is it? I thought the turbulent storms were quite beautiful. They had so much energy, the flashes of lightning, the seemingly gigantic rivers of magic that turned into a cloud river.¡±
¡°This is peaceful. Calm.¡± Stella said. ¡°I can see myself retiring somewhere like this. Some day, when all of this is over, I¡¯d like a farmhouse too. I¡¯d probably need a bit more necessities and stuff from Freshka, but one of these faraway islands would be nice. I¡¯ll plant some fruits and stuff.¡±
¡°You could pick an island. The islands along the Eastern Oceans are still beautiful and untouched.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t have this view.¡± Stella smiled, and Lumoof stretched. He too decided to sit along the edge. It was a sensation I didn¡¯t enjoy. I didn¡¯t like my feet dangling midair. I very much preferred to be rooted down on something solid. Even these floating islands were a little too much for my liking.
Lumoof took a deep breath. The air was clean.
The two domain holders sat quietly, and both enjoyed the beauty. There were other islands in the distance, but the clouds obscured most of them from view. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the main islands tomorrow.¡±
***
Airships were everywhere, and they were armed to the teeth. The peace of the distant islands were soon replaced by the constant threat of war.
Human kingdoms hated each other.
Lumoof and Stella found the main islands of this world to be in a state of constant warfare. Large airships were built out of unique floating materials, and weapons mounted on them. Then they fought each other.
There were five main islands, split into three main empires. The three human empires all maintained large fleets of airships of their own. War in these main islands were brutal, because the main islands were incredibly resource rich. The islands itself were magical, divine and seemed to produce resources indefinitely.
All that potential used to fuel a war against each other.
¡°A sickening testament to humanity.¡± Stella cursed.
¡°It is in our nature.¡± Lumoof said as we arrived in the capital of one of these large empires. Fleets of airships floated overhead, each of them filled with magical weapons. Their array of magical weapons were slightly more advanced than those found on the other worlds, though still quite behind those of the dwarves of Delvegard.
The capital was fairly advanced, in the larger scale of things. Only the dwarven cities of Delvegard and the dragonling cities of Gigantadragon could compare.
But of all things, it was the islands themselves that truly got my attention.
Just walking on the main islands I felt our souls, both mine and Lumoof, resonate with the ground below. The touch of divinity was woven into the ground, and it was similar to how a [druid] encouraged trees to grow. Here, some force caused the ground itself to ¡®spawn¡¯ metals and crystals.
Control of these main islands could significantly alleviate our resource problems.
¡°You can¡¯t be-¡± Stella said. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re thinking about it.¡±
¡°They use a lot of crystals and metals for their airships. They fight a lot of wars with each other. I see value here, just like Delvegard. Though, it would be similarly hard to get them to bend the knee. They already hate each other, and unlike the dwarves of Delvegard that generally respect and obey technical superiority, these humans would not be so cooperative.¡±
Stella and Lumoof were seen as travelers, farmers from afar that came to see the big city. So, it wasn¡¯t entirely problematic. Most of their gear were also hidden elsewhere, so they passed through security fairly easily, though some of their items failed in their presence.
¡°So much for peace.¡± Stella said, as we walked through the city. The city was heavily militarised and there were constant recruitments for soldiers, and a massive industrial system built around supporting the war. It was like a more advanced version of Mountainworld. ¡°I can see why the humans moved to the outer islands.¡±
Three empires of humans, Aire, Argin and Taufang, each with their airships, and there were frequent wars between them. Even now there were smaller skirmishes where their empires met. All three of the human empires worshiped Hawa, yet somehow, the church itself splintered into three sub-branches of Hawa.
The demon king wasn¡¯t here yet. The last demon king came 15 years ago and after that, there was a brutal war that saw the demon king defeated. The stories spoke of how the demon king died when the hero ascended into the demon¡¯s floating island and slew them. The island was destroyed, together with the demon king.
It¡¯ll be at least five or six years before the demons start appearing again. And so, the Empires descended into war.
¡°I¡¯m putting this world under the good for resources pile.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°Just like Delvegard.¡±
¡°Got it. I wonder what Edna sees in the fifteenth world.¡± Stella said. ¡°We¡¯re finally done exploring, and we can then move on to the next stage.¡±
The void mage looked at the world at war.
¡°Do you think we can convince these three empires to lay down their arms?¡±
Lumoof laughed. ¡°If they do not listen to words, they¡¯ll have to listen to a very big swarm of beetles.¡±
300. The Scramble for the Peripheral Worlds
300
Fifteenth Peripheral World
The Empire of The White Statue
¡°Emerald waters, and white sandy beaches. Mountains of white stone and marble, and cities that shine.¡± Edna said as she looked at a city so white and beautiful it could be seen as she crossed the hill. Humans, strong, muscular lived there. An honest life, of farming, of craft, and of fighting.
Things were simple, but functional. Clean. Organized but not overly so.
¡°A place I cannot quite admire.¡± Kafa smiled, but the stresses of travel were temporarily gone. Lizardfolks like Kafa were so used to a state of organized chaos that the overly orderly scenes of this place reminded them of the world of Angels. Still, he was in a cheery mood, hidden in plain sight that none of the humans of this world saw him.
As we approached the city, we began to see towering white marble columns in the distance. The temples on the top of the hill looked transplanted out of an ancient civilization. They walked and explored for days, and found a world strangely ancient, and yet advanced in its own way.
¡°Welcome to Raeko, traveler. Your attire is foreign, so you must¡¯ve come from a place far, far away. Come, come, our code dictates that our foreign visitor¡¯s first meal and board is free. Let us lead you to our communal guesthouses.¡± A man in white tunic greeted Edna as she approached the gates. The walls were white, and beautiful as if they¡¯ve never seen battle in ages, and yet the guards took their work seriously.
Edna nodded, as they were ushered into a fairly basic but functional guesthouse. Food was warm, though there was a particularly pungent taste that the locals seemed to love.
Before long, the host and the guest began to trade stories, and the host¡¯s pride in their nation was clear. He was eager to impress on the greatness of their nation, and Edna soaked it in. Edna gave a generally vague description of a land far away, which the host presumed to be the land beyond the White Shores, commonly referred to as the Untamed lands.
This was a fairly small world, and home to a large nation called the White Shores. It was ruled by a really old white statue that stood as the guardian of the birthplace, and administered by a council of the wise men, who would routinely elect one amongst them to be the decade¡¯s Philosopher King. The Philosopher King would then shape the White Shore¡¯s policy for that decade, though changes were often incremental rather than revolutionary.
Eventually, the host spoke of the home city, the White Capital, and home of the White Statue. The host spoke at length about how every citizen of the White Shores would make a pilgrimage when they came of age, to the White Capital to receive their calling.
¡°I should go there.¡± Edna said, realizing that there was something about it that hinted to the presence of a domainholder, or some kind of immortal guardian spirit.
The host, naturally, was more than happy to assist. It was fairly easy for Edna to change into the local¡¯s attire, though Kafa would then play off as her attendant.
Raeko was one of the many cities of the White Shores located closer to the fringes than the center, and so, the pair set of on a leisurely journey towards the heart of the White Shores.
They traveled with the common means of transport, which mainly consisted of horse-drawn carriages that went on well maintained pebblestone and cobblestone paths.
It was on these cobblestone paths outside of the small town of Raeko, where the smaller road joined with a larger one, an intersection, that stood a replica of a giant white statue. There were smaller statues all over the place, but Edna felt drawn. She commanded the driver to stop, for them to take a look at the statue.
The small clearing around the giant white statue was covered in marble flooring, and there were a few guards standing about, mainly to supervise traffic.
Yet, as Edna looked at it, she felt there was something here.
¡°I didn¡¯t sense a thing.¡± Kafa said, at first.
¡°You were not there when we visited the beast deity Bitu. I sensed a faint link from these statues elsewhere. Once you get used to it, you¡¯ll even see it in Aeon¡¯s trees.¡± Edna said as she stood in front of the statue.
Faint strands of divine influence.
¡°Really?¡± Kafa walked closer to the White Statue. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s my level.¡±
A guard immediately walked over, gave a warning, and walked away. ¡°Citizens. You are permitted to remain here but do not conduct any unsavory activities. I would like to remind you that touching the White Statue is not permitted. Have a good day.¡±
¡°Takes his work seriously.¡± Kafa looked at the guy.
Edna nodded. ¡°That is good. They are quite strong. Do you not notice the way they are blessed?¡±
Kafa frowned. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior. Sensing such auras is harder for me.¡± But he squinted just to try and see, and when it clicked, it clicked. His eyes widened, as he looked around. ¡°No way. It¡¯s everywhere.¡±
¡°It is, and it swirls around us like a subtle fog that¡¯s almost invisible to see.¡± Edna¡¯s eyes looked at the Statue. ¡°I wonder what it¡¯ll take to get its attention.¡±
Kafa looked about. ¡°I think that can wait?¡±
Edna looked back at the lizard warrior, and after a second. ¡°You are right. Let¡¯s see this world for a bit.¡±
***
Aeon
We have seen fifteen worlds, and now back home, I was fairly clear on my first course of action. I would flush out all the demon kings with all my domain holders, and let them level up. This was the easy part.
The one I had trouble with, was what comes after.
Do I even bother establishing a position here? Should I force a presence on all of them, or just don¡¯t bother? The demons are not playing games, and so, I need to grow. I need to grow faster, and quickly. Good, high quality growth. Growth that will bring us to the next level.
I decided to pull in my domain holders for their views.
Kafa went first. ¡°I believe that talent is key, and talent exists where the population is biggest. We should have a bigger presence in a world like Twinspace, where it¡¯s overpopulated and people are eager for a better life. That¡¯s my first pic. Second pick, I¡¯ll pick Capra.¡±
¡°Capra?¡± Edna responded telepathically. ¡°Why Capra?¡±
¡°Because the Caprans seemed to gel well with us.¡± Kafa countered.
Edna decided to reframe the question. ¡°Okay, i think let¡¯s work through this by elimination. Which world do we don¡¯t want?¡±
Lumoof thought for a moment. ¡°I kinda want all of them.¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re not helping with that! We have to eliminate some of these worlds. Worlds where we just maintain a casual presence.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to understand that as worlds that have their shit figured out and we¡¯re not necessary. And worlds that are already wrecked. So that¡¯s Deadworld, Three Ringed World, Caval and Khubur. All these three worlds are strong, and have people designed to sort out their own shit. Khubur even has a domain holder of some kind. I say we leave them alone. We visit occasionally just to check in, but otherwise, we leave it as it is.¡±
Roon nodded. ¡°I¡¯m generally with you there. I think we should just be insurance, just in case this domainholder acts unnaturally, but yeah, I think we can leave the Osroids alone, whether they are friendly or not.¡±
¡°Edna should claim the world of Caval. That world just meshes super well with her set of abilities. If we wanted to arrange for someone to speak to the administrators when they are offered the Faith System, Edna should set up a significant presence on Caval.¡± Ezar countered. ¡°It¡¯s human, it has a strong knightly tradition due to the presence of historical hero-swords.¡±
¡°Alright. Caval¡¯s contentious. Let¡¯s put that aside.¡±
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¡°I like Gigantadragon. If we take Capra, we should take Gigantadragon. The two dragons and drakeworlds have some value together.¡± Johann advocated. ¡°Synergy effects and all that.¡±
¡°If so, Magisar and Caval as a set. Swords and magic.¡±
¡°Are we pairing up worlds?¡± Stella asked. ¡°I say we take Twinspace and move the heavily populated folks to the Deadworld, since that world¡¯s dead. That can happen with just nodes, so we don¡¯t really need Aeon¡¯s clones there to boost everything else.¡±
¡°Are you sure we need the Deadworld? It¡¯s dead.¡±
¡°I think Landas is a node-only world. The hot and cold world of Sarlpi, the Centaur world of the Great steppes and Shasan, the flood and desert world, I rank them in the middle. Not a priority.¡±
¡°Magisar?¡±
¡°Magisar is an upper tier world.¡± Edna said. ¡°They are naturally magically talented. There¡¯s some things we can use to offset our current magical shortfall- Together with the world of the floating islands.¡±
¡°You like the floating islands?¡± Stella asked.
¡°I thought you did.¡±
¡°I did like the world, personally. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that great for the Valtrian Order. Would Aeon¡¯s abilities work well in a world where the lands are fragmented. Where each piece of land is cut off from other lands? I think Aeon¡¯s clones would be functionally weaker in such a world.¡± Stella countered.
Lumoof nodded. ¡°I could test it out by using [Aeon¡¯s Spirit], but my intuition agrees with Stella¡¯s conclusion. Aeon¡¯s clone would be suboptimal in a world where each island is separated from others by magic. Aeon would not be able to fully exert his benefits across the entire world. This also applies to the Three Ringed World.¡±
¡°Wildcard idea here. Aeon should be on the Deadworld. Like, perfect world to reconstruct from scratch. We¡¯ll offer the people of the overpopulated worlds a place to move to.¡±
¡°Too long. We¡¯ve seen Tropicsworld, and it takes forever to rebuild. If we want to scale quickly, we should hit places with the largest existing population and supercharge them. That means that twin continent world. We could even sell it, by starting an expedition to the Cursed Continent and clean it up.¡± Kafa suggested. ¡°We¡¯ll call it Aeon¡¯s Crusade. Imagine the impact it¡¯ll give to the population that someone successfully cleaned up the Cursed Continent.¡±
¡°You¡¯re mad, but I like it.¡± Ezar laughed. ¡°That does sound like a good idea.¡±
Lumoof nodded. ¡°Seems sensible. That means Twinspace pushed up a notch.¡±
¡°Our key resource shortfall is crystals, and that¡¯s aplenty in the Floating Islands world.¡± Edna said. ¡°Along with Delvegard.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we need clones. We could use nodes.¡±
¡°Aeon has a crystal-producing titan. Those titans will work better with a clone¡¯s blessings. Production titans must be linked to Aeon since they are pretty much unique trees. So we¡¯ll need a clone.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be on any of these worlds. These Crystal Titan could be based out of our existing worlds.¡± Roon countered. ¡°It¡¯ll be closer to where the crafters are, anyway.¡±
¡°Fair. So where does that put the Floating Islands world. What¡¯s with the drawbacks of the Floating Island world?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll play out. But just like Delvegard, our presence can force them to change. Aeon¡¯s clone has a ten year cooldown. We could test it out, build a presence, and if it doesn''t work as well, Aeon could swap it for a node.¡±
¡°Or if Aeon gains levels, we¡¯d have more clones.¡± Roon countered. ¡°I think let¡¯s just summarize a little. A node on Twinspace, Capra, Magisar, Gigantadragon, Deadworld? Clones currently proposed to be on Twinspace and Deadworld?¡±
¡°Why not Capra or Gigantadragon?¡± Johann countered, in rare disagreement with his fellow partner. ¡°Aeon¡¯s ability to meddle with fruits and supercharge breeding of drakefruits could be beneficial to the drakes and dragons of these two worlds. Done properly, we¡¯d have a really powerful flying force.¡±
Kafa shook his head. ¡°Only domain holders matter, Johann. Against the demon kings, everyone else falls short.¡±
¡°I disagree with that.¡± Johann didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Our organization is built upon the support of thousands of support staff. Someone makes our equipment, keeps our supplies stocked, and does our planning.¡±
¡°Yes. But ultimately, the organization must be designed around producing domainholders as it¡¯s core objective.¡± Kafa defended. ¡°So, population, thus talent, matters more. Aeon has 3 clone slots. With Lumoof¡¯s [Aeon¡¯s Spirit], we technically don¡¯t need to keep any as spare. Or at least, we need to choose two worlds. Twinspace should be one of them by virtue of its population size. Blessing such a world to produce even more potential talent will supercharge our talent pipeline.¡±
Stella paused. ¡°What if we don¡¯t bother with clones at all? Let¡¯s just go with [node trees]. Aeon has 7 node trees left after the ones on Landas, Delvegard and Gigantadragon. Let¡¯s use all of them. Twinspace, Magisar, Capra, Caval.. Those Four have the most potential. We can add in Triotuga and maybe Shasan or the Floating Islands just to round it out. The rest of them, we¡¯ll leave it as portal-only worlds.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Johann paused. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°We cannot be relying on Aeon¡¯s clones forever as a crutch. We need the Valthorns to outgrow its current abilities, and to do so, it must first gain the ability to function and prosper without Aeon¡¯s clone presence. [Lords] and [Kings] grow faster in times of peril, and the Order will learn to be better with the challenge.¡±
Kafa paused. ¡°A clone would make a big statement.¡±
Stella countered. ¡°Agree. But, the people of Twinspace don¡¯t know that.¡±
A story emerged in Lumoof¡¯s mind. ¡°The story of winning over Twinspace will be simple. We create a small node tree with limited abilities, and sell the Cursed Continent as a promised land. Then, we launch that crusade as Kafa suggested, then once we succeed, a clone gets deployed and then we can create a new great nation in that resource rich continent.¡±
That made my void mage freeze for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s kind of unnerving, even if I know how it¡¯ll work.¡±
¡°As priests, our jobs often involve crafting mythos. We will need to create one for each of these worlds. A story. We need the people to buy in. To hope. A reason for them to join in our journey, to take part in a tale we create together.¡±
¡°I think to venture into the heart of the demon¡¯s territory and slay the source is a pretty compelling story.¡± Roon said.
¡°For some. But again, variations. We could craft smaller tales about our journey in each of these worlds. Like how we have the venture to the Cursed Continent to create a promised land, on Gigantadragon, Landas and so forth, our story will be one of restoration and revival.¡±
¡°But what if what we are reviving is terrible.¡± Stella countered. ¡°Not all of these old civilizations are great.¡±
¡°Renewal.¡±
Kafa frowned. ¡°I think to just say that these worlds will now be part of a community of wider worlds could work, though that doesn¡¯t actually inspire loyalty.¡±
¡°The generation that saw the most change and improvements will be loyal by virtue of our actions.¡± Edna stated. ¡°It is the successor generations that would see the need for a finely crafted narrative. Something to convince them to be a part of our crusade.¡±
¡°Will Lumoof take the lead on the narratives?¡± Ezar asked.
¡°A bit. But I¡¯ll likely leave it to the other Decarches.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°It ties into our mythos, of a tree expanding its roots and branches into the other worlds, to purge them of the demons and spread the fruits of growth.¡±
¡°And the roots to suck up talent.¡± Kafa chuckled. ¡°But Stella¡¯s [node] idea is logical. A clone is a decision that has a long term impact. A test case with nodes would work.¡±
¡°Speaking of the myths, we should just call this whole thing the Fifteen Revivals.¡± Roon laughed. ¡°Or the Aeonic Expedition.¡±
Stella rolled her eyes. A part of her disagreed with the colonial, imperialist methods of our Order, but unfortunately, it¡¯s part of the developmental stages these worlds have to go through.
¡°Eh. We shouldn¡¯t be touching the worlds with the domain holders. It¡¯s pretty dangerous unless we want to fight another domainholder. That means Khubur, and the world of the White Statue.¡± Edna said.
¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯d lose.¡± Ezar said.
¡°I don¡¯t think so either. But the battle is the easy part, replacing the power vacuum it creates is what¡¯s hard. Unlike the Crystal King, these two worlds have fairly intertwined domain holders that run what seems to be fairly well put together.¡± Edna countered. ¡°If these worlds are working well, we don¡¯t have to mess with it. We can just drop in, deal with the demon kings, and go out. Let things remain as they are. That¡¯s all we need to tell the existing domain holders, strike a non-interference treaty, say our whole job is just to deal with the demon kings, do it, and go. If they are willing to help us, it¡¯s a win.¡±
The consequences of betrayals were self explanatory. They could test us, but if we made the statement with Lumoof and my own avatar form, the difference in power should be clear.
¡°Okay, wait, Seven nodes. We are choosing to ignore the Deadworld, Sarlpi, Great Steppes, the Three Ringed World, Shasan, Khubur and White Shores?¡± Roon decided to repeat the conversation. ¡°Wait, that still leaves one spare.¡±
¡°Wait. Why Triotuga over Shasan?¡± Stella asked, out of curiosity.
¡°Shasan seems like they got things figured out, while winning over one of the three factions of Triotuga seems a lot easier.¡± Kafa countered.
¡°The dryads there have something against spirit trees.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°Or at least, they¡¯d find our trees a target. I think I¡¯d go against Triotuga out of principle.¡±
¡°But the human population there is fairly healthy.¡± Kafa added, once again taking the point of view that populations matter more. ¡°That world sort of resembles Threeworlds.¡±
¡°Shasan¡¯s wider skill set and unique creatures is more interesting to absorb into our fold.¡± Roon jumped in. ¡°Though I suppose Shasan is not exactly friendly to trees. That place is either too dry or too wet.¡±
¡°Actually, let¡¯s skip both and go for the Great Steppes.¡± Edna said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the two centaur clans and I think their strength could be a welcome addition. It¡¯s also decently well populated.¡±
¡°Or the Floating Islands. A node tree on a floating island, ideally one of the large ones. Just to gain access to the resources.¡± Lumoof suggested, and recalled the resources of the Floating Islands. Control over any of the main islands could improve our resource situation, at the expense of the locals.
¡°Do we really want Capra over these four choices?¡± The lizard domain holder didn¡¯t strongly buy the dragon argument. ¡°Or Landas.¡±
¡°Landas is largely settling in its place.¡± Edna said. ¡°Our infrastructure is built. The population is lower than we like, but they welcome us.¡±
In the end, I wasn¡¯t sure the Valtrian Order was large enough to successfully build new branch establishments across nine new worlds. We would have to recruit as we go, and augment our strength. The larger native component would be key to our success.
There was no need to rush on the nodes, and to me, [node trees] with their fairly short cooldown times meant we could change our minds. ¡°It is fine. Let¡¯s go with it and respond to what happens.¡±
And so, a decision largely made, thousands more left the comforts and safety of Treehome, and spread out across the stars.
I thought it fitting, this was the moment where we consciously tried to move up to the next level. Our scale would have to increase to match our growing ambitions.
301. Border Control I
301
Year 276
Magisar
¡°We yield.¡± The group of mages were battered, their leader unable to believe what happened. Half of the upper dome of the tower was blasted apart, exposing the top to the whims of the weather.
A dwarven mage stood standing, in his hand a wooden stick made from one of Aeon¡¯s many branches. A fragment of divinity, as a conduit for magic.
Lausanne looked at the Magisarian mages and wizards. Their shields shattered. Their staffs cracked. A group of them, defeated by one of Valthorn archmages, a level 145 [Grand Archmage] named Blackmoore, a rare dwarven mage. It wasn¡¯t hard at all to bribe enough of the mid-ranked mages of the Tower to support an unusual challenge for the tower.
It was even easier once these bribed mages saw who exactly they were consorting with. Those whose eyes could still see, knew the winds were changing. Mages were generally smart, a certain level of intellectual prowess was generally necessary to understand the tomes and scrolls of earlier mages, though there were always those who intuited magic as if it was the back of their hands. Those were geniuses, and those were incredibly rare.
Spectators, there were about two hundred or so mages who belonged to the upper classes of the Tower, unsure whether to clap or cheer. It was just pure silence.
Lausanne smiled, and decided to set off the cheers. She clapped, and soon, those that she bribed took the cue to clap as well.
Blackmoore stood in the center, with his level, he easily dwarfed every other mage present.
In their eyes, he must seem like a prodigy, and they are not wrong.
Blackmoore could be called one of those prodigies. Blessed with a gift for the higher magics that was really hard to translate, in the old dwarven societies he would have been forced into some kind of magical blacksmith, or alchemist. Instead, through the Valtrian Order¡¯s many academies, he escaped the constraints of the dwarven social order, and dabbled in more pure forms of magic.
Lausanne knew how hard it was to train magic. She was there when the old Wizard Madeus tried to train the new students. It¡¯s a shame that so many with talents were often educated in fields that did not exploit their strengths.
She shook her head. Here they were, and so, the first of the Towers.
Blackmoore declared, as he glanced about. ¡°Any more wishes to dispute our claim?¡±
The Tower Lords frowned. The female elf could see the disbelief in their eyes. All their lives they¡¯ve worked towards higher magics. They dedicated their resources and efforts to their goals, and reached the level that couldn¡¯t go anymore.
The cursed level cap.
For Magisarians, it was also around Level 85.
For mages who reached that level, it must¡¯ve felt like they¡¯ve reached the end. They could not go higher.
¡°How?¡± The Tower Lords asked. Maybe the question they should have asked was why.
Blackmoore was not protected by a domain, and thus, a high level version of [inspect] could give a Level estimate. So they knew his levels must be very high. They could conclude it was some kind of [inspect-confusion] type of spell or ability, thus the number shown was a lie.
But the strength he displayed was clear, and no one could deny the hole in their tower. The spectators were stunned to see a mage overpower so many of them so clearly.
Blackmoore nodded, as he turned to face the spectators. ¡°Aeon¡¯s gift. I ask the crowd again. Does anyone wish to state their opposition to our demands?¡±
The Tower Lords could not believe it. ¡°What- what do you want?¡±
¡°As is often said in our circles. Nothing for now, but eventually, everything. But I jest.¡± Blackmoore grinned. ¡°Our first goal will be a coalition of the Towers. As of this day, and until the day the demons are driven back, we will now have full control of your military. Together, we will drive the demons back.¡±
Everywhere, the Tower Lords fought tooth and nail against the mages of Order, but the gaps in strength between someone in the level 80s and someone in the level 140s was immense.
The Valthorns won everywhere, but we did not become the new Tower Masters. If anything, the combined military forces of the Towers would still pale compared to whatever we could field.
But, it would deliver an impact. It was our moment of strength. A chance for the combined mages to see how high the tree grew, and where they stood beneath it.
The Order would not be able to administer this world. It just didn¡¯t have the size or scale. It would be harder still to do with those entrenched in the current system resisting us at every step.
The Valthorns concluded that the existing process and ruling system of the Magisarians were not compatible with our ways. We would not be able to fully capitalize on their strengths if we maintained their system. Thus, we would have to redo it our way.
A statement of strength would lend credence to our legitimacy and ideas.
This statement would win over allies. This statement is our way of telling the local military that there is another way. A complicated power dance to tell those watching that we have the power to protect them. That their tower masters were going to rot away in their towers.
Ultimately, we were not bound by the rules of Magisar. The Order would create new cites, one of them with a Node Tree at its heart. Unlike the Towers of Magisar that were all in various states of decay, a new city would be built in one of the reclaimed lands. Somewhere that would be fertile enough. A new city, and volunteers from the Towers could then move to.
With our strength, we would even set up a city right where the demon king was.
From the volunteers and those willing, the Order would form a new organizational structure of both these Tower Refugees, and the Order. The young mages would be directly trained and supervised by the Order. Those entrenched in the old system would stay back, and they would bear witness to the gaps between us.
***
¡°How¡¯s things, Lausanne?¡± Ebon came over from Landas, and visited one of the newly constructed cities on Magisar. It was located in a valley, in a space that was reclaimed from the demonic corruption. Lausanne was made the temporary leader of the new city, as she was technically the most experienced person in the field. Given how thinly the Valthorns were spread across the worlds, it¡¯s not like they had that much of a choice.
Other than the Dwarven Archmage Blackmoore who was slightly higher level than her, everyone else was in the level 100s to 120s, while Lausanne was already firmly in the Level 140s. It was a pace she didn¡¯t expect, yet somehow, everyone else seemed to think it was normal.
Lausanne stood, and smiled at her teammate from their Landas tour. Hoyia followed behind, as she too, appeared through the makeshift door.
The elven temporary leader answered the dark knight. ¡°Slow. But moving.¡±
¡°As is on Landas. People remain the hardest component of our struggle. Give them time. I see you¡¯ve gotten all these built, at least.¡± Ebon pointed to the structures around them. Lausanne shrugged.
¡°The physical objects are easier to build. The Magisarians remain unnerved by these land-based cities. They¡¯ve lived so long in their floating towers that they are still mentally scarred by life living so close to the lands. That¡¯s a problem that will take some time.¡±
Hoyia looked around, and after a while, tapped Lausanne on her shoulder. ¡°Little to worry. A passive blessing from the aura of a [Prayer Tree] should fix that.¡±
Lausanne looked outside. There wasn¡¯t much of a view, much of the Magisarian terrain was rocky and rugged. ¡°What of Landas?¡±
¡°The [Lords] are moving in to set things up, and the locals are generally compliant with what was asked of them. Have they assigned a [Lord] to Magisar, yet?¡±
The elf shook her head. ¡°Central claims they are not yet ready.¡±
¡°Strange. Delvegard has seven lords.¡± Hoyia frowned. ¡°Wonder what¡¯s happening on the field that¡¯s causing this.¡±
¡°I was told that they¡¯re trying to get a [Mage Lord].¡± Lausanne regurgitated the answer from command. She would likely transfer that control to one of the dedicated [Lords] or [ladies] once they arrived.
¡°Ah.¡± Hoyia and Ebon clicked in acknowledgement. Specialized classes were harder to prepare for deployment. Certain ruling classes were harder to deal with.
¡°So for now, I¡¯m the temporary leader trying to smooth things over. I do have some good assistants, and planners, though.¡± Lausanne answered, though she did have her share of difficulties. Frustrations with the locals were mainly on the little microaggressions and resistances. ¡°The Magisarians have many quirks, and I initially hoped that they¡¯d be smart enough to just accept us. I am sadly proven wrong.¡±
Though some of the mages accepted the deal, they were not going to accept all of the Valtrian requests.
¡°Their cities are not charred fields. Their villages were not burnt and destroyed.¡± Ebon said. ¡°It is only normal that they will fight for it. Those who lost almost everything will think of a chance to rebuild differently, than those who are asked to tear down what exists.¡±
Lausanne didn¡¯t speak of the time when the village was ashes. A faint memory of a time when she and her mother were standing in what was a charred field of ash flashed before her eyes, and she glanced away.
The Tower Masters thought of Blackmoore as powerful, but yet, still reachable. To them, if they worked together, maybe they had a chance. They schemed much a little too obviously. The Valthorns present were from a spread of disciplines, it wasn¡¯t hard to pick up on what they were trying.
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Even if they lost in a battle, they would not give up their posts without an attempt to wrestle it back in the dark.
This was part of the process.
They tried to speak to the Tower Masters. Yet somehow, all of the Tower Masters seemed cut from the same cloth. They were cunning, but not very wise. Even in the face of power, they¡¯d rather control what little they have.
They would not be the first to change how things were.
Resistance came in many forms. For many of these Magisarians, there was a strong cultural undercurrent.
Even in their new city, she noticed their subtle disapprovals. The clicks, the sighs, the subtle headshakes as they observed how things will be in the new city. In their minds, the Towers are still the ideal to strive for. It was a cultural relic in their mind that they will need a few generations to change.
This was the part of her tasks that was hard. Lausanne sighed. They were there to help, but it did irritate her that those who need help seem to think they don¡¯t.
Hoyia gave the elf a long, warm motherly smile. The matriarch placed both of her hands on both sides of Lausanne¡¯s shoulders, and tapped her reassuringly. ¡°A problem that will be solved in time. Those who have not felt the touch of divinity often doubt its existence. Such is the way of mortals. The mind is hard to change, and it takes overwhelming force to overcome one¡¯s mental inertia. Let us not dwell on the difficulties, but instead, let¡¯s celebrate successes. Show us what you¡¯ve done.¡±
***
Lausanne led the group through a makeshift city built for the refugees and those who agreed to join them. Blackmoore, as the dedicated mage champion, went about and challenged all the Towers, and after he completed the tour, there were refugees and those who wanted to join them.
All in, about ten to eleven thousand Magisarians came to join the new city. Some were spies, but ultimately, the Valthorns had enough firepower and about thirty level 100s, more than enough to maintain a strong level of control over a single town.
The Valthorns also brought in about two hundred Valtrian Order support operatives from Treehome to handle construction and development of the new city.
¡°We¡¯ve got these new wells, with these filtration trees that cleans the water.¡± Lausanne pointed. Ebon and the crew were fairly familiar with most of the things. Clean water was a surprisingly rare thing on Magisar, and the locals developed quite sophisticated rainwater collection systems in their magical towers to supplement the missing natural water sources. ¡°One of the tweaks we had to make to the [rhizofiltration trees] was that the water content needed to be separated to remove some of the minerals that seemed toxic to the Magisarians. They have a zero-iron diet, and their bodies adapted to it so well that iron is now fairly harmful to them.¡±
Ebon nodded. ¡°Huh. The Landas elves seemed fairly normal. I wonder whether there is other stuff we¡¯d have to look out for on the other worlds. Maybe the Caprans and the Dragonlings will have some unique quirks.¡±
Lausanne agreed as she recalled what happened during the first few days. ¡°We only realized it after a few of them got sick. The water is fine now, but that was a rather careless blunder on our end. A proper biological study through one of Aeon¡¯s biolabs should help.¡±
¡°True.¡± Ebon walked about and noticed the homes built everywhere. There were magical shields constructed. They passed by a large farm, where the druids were in discussion with some locals over the plants.
¡°Food¡¯s a pain at first but we¡¯re getting better. We can¡¯t use the food from our world because of their diet, so we¡¯d have to restrict it to native plants. But their local plants all have low yields, because they are mostly a nation of harvesters and hunters, where their cities exist as areas to protect themselves from the demons, so their local plants were not selectively bred for yields. It¡¯ll take a generation or two to change it.¡± Lausanne narrated. ¡°Even if I see these Magisarian mages as useful, I wonder whether the Order would eventually be overwhelmed with all the custom supply choices for each of these world¡¯s recruits. Standard rations that are not standard will lead to a large surge in logistic overheads.¡±
¡°That does limit their external deployment options, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ebon thought about it, he rubbed his chin as he thought about the difficulties of keeping a Magisarian force fully supplied in remote locations. ¡°Unless they could use familiars.¡±
¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯d like to try.¡± Lausanne elaborated. ¡°We¡¯ve not had a Magisarian with Aeon¡¯s familiars, so we don¡¯t know whether those familiars can produce Magisarian-compatible foods when they are operating out of the other worlds.¡±
Food. Water. Accommodations from Magisarians were simple, though they were initially unused to all the space they now possessed. On a spiritual level, the Treeology priests provided a sort of calming effect on the populace using a mix of their various abilities.
It is not an entirely new situation. Valthorns faced some difficulties a few decades ago when the Order started including Lizardfolk and Treefolk field agents, but over time, the logistics system absorbed their culture and it became second nature to cater for their unique needs. That said, lizardfolks were generally able to consume and tolerate a vast amount of foods and so, they were not hard to integrate. In time, it may be the Magisarians that will change, or the Order as a whole figured out how to better support them.
Lausanne eventually led them to the walls. There were three layers of walls, and though it was quite unnecessary given the Order¡¯s strength, it was the locals that needed convincing.
For an added sense of security, there were large magical barriers erected to give the newly settled natives a perception of security. It was partly performative, since the shields were only strong enough to protect against enemies of the demon champions level.
Ultimately, their real defense force was the deployed Valtrian Order, and the local militia.
¡°Are there native monsters?¡± Ebon looked about, and across the horizon. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen demons since we¡¯ve arrived.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Lausanne said. ¡°But they are rare for now. They should start spawning once the druids get to work and push back the corruption. Also, since you guys are here, wanna help me get some fresh air?¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
Lausanne grinned, and stretched. They went on a demon hunting spree.
***
Delvegard
It was a quiet time in the dwarven towns of Delvegard. The appeal of small towns was always its relative obscurity, and that was what drew the dwarves to live in such places. Peace. Free from the usual tussles for Sunsteel and the mines. Free from the rough, chaotic warfare that are the machine wars.
So, the recent changes were met with mixed reactions. Not everyone wanted the attention, because it affected their peace. Yet, the Valtrian presence brought much needed food security.
It was a tradeoff that the dwarves begrudgingly accepted, because food was a pain. Security was something that could be fixed.
The strange dwarves from beyond brought a tree that magically grew within their town, and the locals now had to produce equipment to trade for food.
It was at a very good rate, and so that was highly appealing to the local dwarves, but it was a strange, unusual practice to trade with a ¡®tree¡¯. The central equipment purchasing hall was located right next to the [Node Tree], a dark-brown colored tree that¡¯s six stories tall and its trunk was the size of two houses across.
There was a cavity in the center, the place where everything appeared, and vanished.
Even people. The ruling [Lord] Sundus found it amusing that the rumors are so crazy. It was a rumor. A curiosity. It was often whispered that people could be eaten by the tree, though they would then see those people reappear some time later. For now, it seemed as if it was a magical tree that traded food for crafts.
If only they could see where they lead to, or the links that tree represented. He tried explaining it to the local craftsmen that it led to other worlds, but all the local dwarves did was stare at him like he was mad.
He¡¯d love to see their reaction when he¡¯d send them away for the first time. It would be something he¡¯d carve to his memories. For now, to the locals, it was a tree that traded food for crafts. Crafts and goods went in, food came out the other side.
Of course, the locals didn¡¯t trade with the tree directly. They traded with Sundus¡¯s men, but the locals were curious, and they saw how his people moved the goods to that cavity, and then it just vanished.
So, it is known to the locals as a ¡®Magical Trading Tree¡¯.
A few locals even tried sneaking in, perhaps the result of being a little too intoxicated at the local tavern, and tried trading with the tree directly.
One of them claimed to have heard a voice in his head. The rest of them just laughed it off as drunken hallucinations.
Aeon would speak to them one day. Then they would know the truth. For now, they waited. Sundus knew the plan for Delvegard mainly hinged on Alka¡¯s return. The return of the alchemist of bombs would then shift their plans on Delvegard forward.
For now, the Lord focused on shoring up their position, and setting the field.
News, especially amusing news like the Magical Trading Tree, spread quickly. It attracted the presence of neighbors, and faraway travelers. Sundus could see them, many of them were obviously not traders, but these so-called traders pretended to visit the local market. But they tried the ¡°Magic Trading Tree¡± anyway, and his men were willing to trade anyway.
Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was curiosity.
Dwarves were proud, but they were not stupid. Curiosities could mutate into a bigger problem. The Dwarven Lords from the nearby nations were curious, they¡¯ve all heard of the alliance of dwarven towns. The so-called ¡°Small Group¡±, backed by strange tall folks and their unusual equipment.
Sometimes, Sundus wondered what they discovered. But so far, Valthorn¡¯s presence remained fairly small, and spread across all the smaller towns, and they were all shrouded in a fairly thick layer of disguises to throw off most onlookers.
After watching these spies try the trading tree and furiously write notes, Sundus decided to go and chat. They were clearly not very good spies, and their disdain leaked through their words. They were curious, but from what Sundus could tell, they were mostly not worried.
For now, they are unusual, but nothing to be worried about.
None of the large dwarven groups have set their sights on them. They held no large Sunsteel or Sunmetal veins. They were not aware of the Valthorn¡¯s secret mines nearby. They didn¡¯t have any of the Colossus war machines.
Why should they be worried?
Nothing they¡¯ve seen so far threatened to upset the status quo.
Would they react differently once they met someone like Alka?
Sundus tried his best not to grin. He liked this feeling.
He thoroughly enjoyed it when people looked down on them, only to be proven wrong. He totally couldn¡¯t wait for the day for the domain holder to visit Delvegard.
***
Landas
Lumoof stood at the entrance to the pit, as all the domain holders gathered to purge the first visited peripheral world of its demon king. The Demon King was down there, and he could feel its presence.
It wasn¡¯t digging. It was still digging a few weeks ago. But not anymore. It stopped once it sensed the heroes all reappearing nearby. It had some intelligence to know the heroes came for it.
The hero, Samuel, stood nearby, along with the rest of the heroes. Wira, and Rajah, surprisingly, decided to join them.
¡°It¡¯s down there.¡± Samuel, or as the locals called him, Samahiro said, his finger pointed to the pit. ¡°I hear it calling.¡±
He was stronger, but somehow, it didn¡¯t matter. The fear was real. The impact of the demonic curse was so strong that it messed with some of the [hero] class¡¯s usual mental protections. Lumoof nodded anyway.
¡°Have no fear, Samuel.¡± Colette said. ¡°You are not alone, this time.¡±
Somehow, those words made Samuel tear up a little. His eyes seemed a little reddish, and he rubbed it away. It was not the time to show weakness, as he tried his best to show an expression of determination.
¡°Shall we lure it out, or does it want us to go down there to it?¡± Colette then looked at Lumoof.
He shrugged. ¡°Edna?¡±
¡°I think let¡¯s lure it out. We¡¯ll have better escape options fighting out here.¡±
¡°Sounds good.¡± Lumoof nodded, as he walked over the edge, and fell into the pit. ¡°Alright then. You guys wait here.¡±
The heroes looked at each other, and Samuel looked worried. He didn¡¯t need to be. The demon king wasn¡¯t that strong, and in avatar mode, fighting underground where a tree¡¯s roots could grow and gain control of the environment was thoroughly advantageous to Lumoof, so the demon king, predictably, chose to escape from the depths.
The demon king came out to meet its death.
It was fast.
It was undramatic.
It was just a flurry of colors and lights, as so many heroes and domain holders worked together to destroy a single demon king.
It died so quickly that the battle lasted no more than an hour.
For that hour, the world momentarily shook as a huge surge of magic crushed the demon king, and so Landas became another peripheral world freed of its demon king.
Just like Rajah and Wira, a strange sensation vanished from Samuel¡¯s heart.
Everyone still had places to go. The domain holders had tasks to do.
With Landas freed, the demonic riftgates collapsed, and the demonic invasion ended.
Reconstruction could now go full throttle.
***
302. Border Control II
302
White Shore
The White Capital city of the White Statue was, in many ways, an aspiration for the entire Empire. Edna watched, as the wagon that carried her crested the hill, and the city was in full view.
The main city, commonly referred to as the White Capital, but formally called Claritas of the White Statue, was eye-catching and beautiful. It comprised a central conical hill, and at its peak stood a large white temple, the largest temple of any Edna¡¯s seen in any of the cities so far.
But the city itself wasn¡¯t massive. Instead, Edna thought it looked fairly compact for a capital city. It was what appeared to be a planned, properly organized structure where not a single piece was out of place.
In some ways, it reminded her of the angels.
It was as if an array of marble structures was built to decorate a single hill. Every building was made out of a kind of white, shiny marble that never seemed to accumulate dust or wear. It was apparently an ability of many stonemasons, though it originated from the White Statue itself.
There were white statues all over the city. Edna was alone this time, and she felt it the moment she walked through the city, and entered the city guard¡¯s checkpoint.
[Domain has blocked an ability]
¡°Well. What is this?¡± Edna mused to herself, and just about instantly, a siren blew.
At that point, the guards had an unusual reaction. Then, the guards at the gates immediately stopped her. ¡°Milady, please come with us?¡±
Edna smiled at the four guards, all clad in full body armor. Their weapon of choice was a double sided shortsword, and a set of spears. They were all of a decent level, maybe level 50 or so. They were tense as hell, and prepared to fight. In their eyes, she could see their readiness to die at the moment.
Was this her turn to go through what Lumoof did back when he first visited the Crystal King? Would this White Statue be friendly, or hostile? But she saw enough of the White Statue¡¯s impact, and realized that it was probably worth talking to this entity. ¡°Sure.¡±
They were relieved when she did not resist, and at least, they did not chain her. They seemed to understand how different their powers were.
The four began to lead her through the path. Those along the road looked, and she could hear them whisper. But the guards paid them no mind, and none of the busy citizens blocked their path.
¡°So, where are you taking me?¡±
¡°To the hill, the White Statue.¡± The guard answered.
Edna could feel the throbbing presence of another domain holder. It was as if the air itself was layered with a kind of invisible white dust.
She was escorted through the city, and so, she took the chance to see the lives of those living here. Streets were clean, and beautiful. Each and everyone looked healthy, and they were doing business with each other. Everyone, as weird as it sounded, looked good. Men were tall, muscular, and healthy, the old people looked wise and still fit with none of the patchy features common in older people.
¡°Are there poor people in this city?¡± Edna asked.
¡°No.¡± The guards answered. ¡°No one who comes to Claritas will be poor. The White Statue guides, and the citizens follow. Their poverty is but their starting point.¡±
Her eyes squinted, and tried to sense it in the presence of the four guards around her. She blinked. ¡°He touched all your minds.¡±
¡°The Virtues of the White Statue is imprinted in our souls, milady. No one who obeys the Virtues will be a poor citizen. The State will ensure a role appropriate to you is created, and a fair remuneration is paid.¡±
¡°What of the sick?¡±
¡°The White Statue heals those it can, and those who can¡¯t be healed are sacrificed at the altar.¡±
Edna paused, but her feet kept walking. It was a centrally planned economy, but to an extent stronger than even that of Freshka. A city controlled by a god, and where everyone did what it was told to do.
She blinked. This was not far from an ant colony.
Yet, as she looked at how everyone looked happy. Everyone had a purpose. A task from God itself. It mattered, because their god told it to their soul it did. She blinked again, when she realized Aeon could do this too, and wondered briefly whether it should happen. Everyone seemed to take their work seriously.
¡°Virtue.¡± She repeated. ¡°It¡¯s a fascinating thing.¡±
The guards naturally agreed. ¡°It is.¡±
¡°What¡¯s yours?¡±
The guards looked at each other and didn¡¯t say a word.
¡°It is not for us to say.¡± The guards answered. ¡°Only the White Statue has the right to reveal what is one¡¯s virtue.¡±
Edna nodded, as they passed even more buildings. There were administrators here. People who collated reports. This was the heart of the Empire, and she felt the touch of the domain holder in every single one.
It was like a magical familiar, but more pervasive. The knight refocused her attention on the four guards around her. They were calm. Prepared. She wondered how strong this domain holder had to be. Perhaps in the same tier as the Osroids.
¡°Do they still summon heroes?¡± Edna asked. When she asked about heroes back in the other cities, they¡¯ve gotten nothing. Instead, all they got were blank stares. When she probed about the demons, strangely, all she got was also just blank stares, before one of them said they would be handled by the White Statue¡¯s elite forces.
The guards looked at her, three of them said nothing. But one of them turned, and walked close to her. He whispered. ¡°Those who claim to be representatives of the Pagan Gods? The visitors from the stained well. That is something only the White Guards know. If you wish to know more, you must ask the question to the White Statue yourself.¡±
Edna paused, and felt strangely unnerved. This was the first time they mentioned the term, ¡®Pagan Gods¡¯. Much of what happens in the regional towns of the White Shore is so normal, so perfectly manicured that Edna kept wondering whether there were unusual things. There must be secret things only the special people know. The touch of this domain holder kept most things secret, as the pieces began to come together.
It is not that they don¡¯t know, it is that they were not allowed to know.
There was a vast, white building filled with windows, in it were men in white tunics all walking about. They looked busy, going over papers and reports.
Edna¡¯s long glance was answered by one of the guards.
¡°That¡¯s the main office of the Philosopher King and the Council of Elders. All matters of the Empire travel through that office.¡±
Edna nodded, and wondered how much of it was for show. Though the Philosopher King supposedly rules the nation, it is truly the White Statue that holds the puppet strings. In some ways, Edna thought that was similar to Aeon, though, each domain holder and society found their own stable position in the spectrum between ¡®control¡¯ and ¡®freedom¡¯.
By now, she was almost at the peak, and the grand temple stood before her. At this distance, she looked up, and couldn¡¯t quite admire the temple. She felt the aura of another domain holder from outside, and it was trying its best to press against hers. It didn¡¯t work.
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The guards stopped, they were unaffected by the domain holder¡¯s aura. It was focused. ¡°Milady, you¡¯ll have to step inside yourself.¡±
The knight looked about, took a good look at their city, and then back at the door. She gently pushed it, and the heavy painted steel door opened without a sound. It was perfectly oiled and maintained, and though it was pitch dark inside, she could feel that it was just a single, gigantic chamber. The door closed behind her, and here, she sensed no unusual magic.
There was no need for little toys in the presence of an existence that likely considers itself a god. In it, was a giant statue of a man, and she felt the emanating power of a fellow domain holder.
¡°Hello. I¡¯m Edna.¡± Edna answered, as she walked towards the White Statue. Here, in this large, ethereal chamber, her footsteps echoed. ¡°Pleased to meet the White Statue.¡±
The Statue¡¯s eyes glowed white, and it went directly to a question. ¡°Are you sent by the pagan gods?¡±
Edna¡¯s eyes squinted. ¡°Who are these pagan gods?¡±
¡°Those that deserted us long ago. The old ones.¡± The White Statue answered.
Edna frowned, and then looked at the White Statue. There was no facial expression to read in an object like the White Statue. It¡¯s carved face was that of an old man, but yet, she wondered what she was dealing with. ¡°We encountered them, but no, they didn¡¯t send us here.¡±
¡°Then why have you come? Have you come to represent them? To retake the lands that were once theirs?¡±
Edna shook her head. ¡°Not at all. I represent the Valtrian Order, led by our tree god, Aeon. I am one of those in Aeon¡¯s pantheon. We have been asked by Hawa, to deal with the demons in these faraway worlds.¡±
There was so much history scrubbed from the memory of those present. The people of the White Shore do not remember the past. To them, their creation myth started from the White Statue. It was a lie, naturally.
There was a moment of silence.
¡°Like the souls that they lied to?¡± The White Statue asked.
Edna paused as she realized. ¡°The [heroes]? No. We are not summoned like them.¡±
¡°Then what do you want? If you seek to upset the structure I have created in their absence, then we will be enemies. I will slay you here and now.¡± The White Statue declared. Edna was fairly certain she would survive any conflict.
The knight felt the probing energies of the White Statue¡¯s domain, but again, it was ineffective. She couldn¡¯t quite sense what the White Statue was, though the founding myths she heard so far claimed the White Statue always existed, and he held the light of wisdom that brought the men of the White Shore wisdom. It is so that they exist as productive members of society, instead of living as barbaric creatures in the faraway lands.
¡°We merely want permission to deal with the demons.¡±
¡°And deny us the experience we need?¡± The White Statue countered. ¡°We do not need help dealing with those creatures from beyond, or the lost lambs the old gods send our way.¡±
Edna frowned, as she realized the White Statue probably has some means of dealing with the demon king. Briefly, was this something she needed to feed back to Hawa? This world didn¡¯t need help. So, why did Hawa still mark this world as a drain on their faith points? Something didn¡¯t add up. What happened to the heroes?
¡°I see. ¡± Edna said. ¡°Who do you do with those summoned by the old gods?¡±
For a moment, the two just stood in silence, as both took a sense of each other¡¯s power. She roughly estimated the White Statue to be around Level 200ish, and probably had some means of dealing with the demons. Perhaps a collection of ancient weapons, or some unique power.
The White Statue folded.
¡°We will send them back, of course. A swift death.¡± The White Statue declared.
¡°Death.¡± Edna repeated. ¡°You killed them?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°May we propose that you send them to us, instead? That we take them away from you?¡± Edna countered.
¡°For them to return one day and exact the old god¡¯s vengeance? No. My White Guards hunt them down.¡±
The knight stared at the White Statue and for a moment, felt a sense of injustice. She tried her best to hold herself back, and took a deep breath.
¡°Are you dissatisfied with our conduct?¡± The White Statue asked.
¡°I¡¯d rather not kill them.¡±
¡°They are a potentially rogue agent and a poorly constructed weapon of the old gods. Their presence only serves to create chaos, as their incredible potential is turned into the tools of their whims.¡± The White Statue declared. ¡°Such poor tools do not deserve to exist.¡±
¡°You could rip the class out of them.¡± Edna countered, as she recalled what the Osroids or the Ularans did to the heroes. ¡°They become regular mortals, and at least, they get to live normally.¡±
¡°Even without their powers, their whims and thoughts are tainted by a world unlike ours. Ours possess a structure that is fundamentally incompatible with their world, and now, I realize your world has a structure incompatible with ours too.¡± The White Statue declared, and for a moment, the two auras clashed once more. The entire city of Claritas experienced a rare tremor, as the two domain holder¡¯s weight of existence slammed into each other.
¡°Have you spoken to the administrators?¡± Edna asked, and in an instant, the clash of aura stopped.
The White Statue¡¯s white eyes glowed brightly. ¡°You speak of something I do not know. Elaborate.¡±
Edna realized that the White Statue must have not yet reached Level 250. Because if it had, it too, should be offered the choice.
It possessed a religion centered around the White Statue. It was strong. By both counts, it met the criteria. Her mind thought of the angels of Angelworld, and that moment when they hosted the eight-winged angel, Raph. Would their presence here set off another chain of potentially hostile power?
She closed her eyes. ¡°It seems you have not reached that level of power. It is not my place to tell.¡±
¡°What?¡± The white marbles of the temple moved, but stopped just as quickly, as if the White Statue realized it was useless. It thought quickly, and then, suddenly proposed. ¡°If you want me to spare the lives of the future summons of the old gods, then you will elaborate on this ¡®choice¡¯.¡±
¡°It is not my place to decide. We will discuss your offer.¡± Edna said.
***
¡°I have a bad feeling if we tell them.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°From what you described, he gives me vibes like the angels. Do we really want to let him know about that future?¡±
¡°If we don¡¯t, we don¡¯t get to save the heroes.¡± Roon countered, and asked a rhetorical question that didn¡¯t really need to be answered. ¡°Is that important to us? Should we have to weigh what we want to do here?¡±
¡°Of course we do! They are heroes. Alright, let¡¯s look at our options. Let¡¯s start with the obvious. Should we go in there and fight that White Statue?¡± Stella asked, and it was met with silence.
Lumoof waited, and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea in the short term. At our stretched levels, we cannot deploy enough personnel to fill the power vacuum or maintain order. It¡¯s also going to be pretty hard to predict how these folks will behave should the White Statue suddenly disappear. The imprints on their mind sounds like it could go either way. I think we leave that option for much later. It should be a nuclear option, once we conclude that the White Statue really is hostile.¡±
It was an uncomfortable reality that fighting is often the easy part. Maintaining order, and advancing society were significantly harder.
Was it worth it, just to save some heroes? It was a line of thought that Kafa raised. ¡°What makes a hero¡¯s life worth more?¡± Kafa countered. ¡°We¡¯re at the point where they are more of a liability. A rogue element, and I would even go as far as saying that the White Statue is right to consider them as erratic. Like we all remember what happened to Chung.¡±
¡°We need them because heroes can help defend the existing worlds. They can move around freely with nodes, and through Lumoof. They are our defensive pieces, and their situation can be managed. The more heroes we have, it becomes less risky for us as a whole to rely on them.¡± Roon explained. ¡°And as much as I hate to admit it, heroes are worth more than normal people. Their potential to save lives is so much higher.¡±
Stella squirmed uncomfortably. Discussions of the value of lives made her react this way. She knew how I thought about it. ¡°So we¡¯re going to tolerate this White Statue¡¯s murder of mostly innocent fresh heroes.¡±
Lumoof sighed before he explained. ¡°We all make sacrifices, and I am cognizant that even Aeon¡¯s branches are stained with more blood than the White Statue. We¡¯re in no place to comment on the sort of sacrifices the White Statue made to achieve a stable, prosperous society.¡±
¡°I mean, that¡¯s fine with me. We¡¯ve all killed, some way or another, so, I think we¡¯re not really innocent. We just think that it¡¯s the right thing to do. But more importantly, can we actually trust this White Statue¡¯s offer? Is it an offer in good faith? What if it reneges on the deal?¡± Ezar, the brawler, then asked. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s really nothing other than our word and theirs to hold this agreement together. We¡¯re giving special knowledge, in exchange for a promise.¡±
¡°What does Aeon think?¡±
I reviewed Edna¡¯s explanation, and personally, I thought it was a matter of time. ¡°If it has been defeating demon kings, it may be a matter of time before it reaches Level 250 anyway. By then, it will meet the administrators. The very fact we have informed him of the existence of these administrators is already revealing much.¡±
¡°My bad.¡± Edna said.
There were sacrifices made in every society, and from what Edna saw on the White Shores, they made some too. I had my share of brutal experiments and demonic touches. If I could save these heroes in exchange for knowledge, it seemed like a fair position to take.
¡°Letting it know beforehand could be advantageous. Maybe it¡¯ll be a future god we can work with, or at least, reason with. Or it might be a threat. But for now, I don¡¯t think we need to see it as one.¡±
I saw the heroes as useful, even if they¡¯re increasingly less so relatively speaking. If anything, saving these high potential individuals was worth it, even if we¡¯re sharing information with a potentially risky individual.
Maybe it¡¯ll be like the angels, a force for order in a chaotic world.
Maybe Raph was right after all. The world does need some agents for structure and peace. My approach may work for some, but I do not think it is the perfect one.
In a world where the system grants so much power on individuals, maybe we do need gods that play a more pervasive role to mitigate the potential chaos of errant individuals with system-granted power.
Anyway, that was a side thought.
¡°I think we can agree on this.¡± I proposed. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t deliver, then we know it can¡¯t be trusted. We¡¯ll deal with it when it happens.¡±
303. The White Statue
303
Year 276 (Part II)
¡°You know, I think our interaction with Osroids is gonna be pretty messed up too.¡± Edna said as she rested on a corner sofa. She stretched, and felt her muscles turn. They were all very happy to be home, even if there¡¯s a lot more to discuss.
¡°With creatures of that level of power, I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Stella sighed. The two female domainholders frequently spent time with each other, somehow, they both saw each other as a bit of a kindred spirit. ¡°Few things grow to that level of power without a little bit of madness. We all are mad in our own way.¡±
¡°Hah.¡± Edna said. ¡°You think that¡¯s the key missing thing to be a domain holder?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Stella picked up a glass and poured herself some fermented fruit juice. ¡°But at the rate we¡¯re going, every domain holder we meet is going to be unusual in their own way. They don¡¯t become domain holders by being normal.¡±
¡°What are the odds there¡¯s someone like you out there?¡± Edna countered.
¡°If you mean whether there¡¯s bound to be someone who can travel worlds? I think the chances are very high. But also, if you¡¯re like me and we have the ability to run whenever things get dangerous, all we¡¯ll be doing is to keep running.¡±
The knight paused for a long, long time. ¡°You know, that¡¯s a very valid point of view. There really might be a domain holder that¡¯s only running from world to world and hiding constantly. Or a void mage.¡±
¡°Yeah. Why bother staying and fighting when running is so easy?¡± She drank the fruit juice and barfed. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea why I drink such things.¡±
¡°You enjoy a little bit of misery.¡± Edna chuckled, as she suddenly jumped up. ¡°Did you personally agree with our choices?¡±
¡°Which ones?¡± Stella said, and somehow, took a second big mouthful of the fermented fruit juice. ¡°The node worlds, or the subdomain?¡±
¡°The one about the node worlds?¡±
¡°Eh. Could be worse. Nodes are disposable, I think it¡¯s fine to just correct as we go. I¡¯m planning to bug Aeon to continue our tour of the Void Layers.¡± Stella said, barfing again, and then walked over to one of her bookshelves. It was a magical contraption that unlocked only with her magical signature. ¡°I think we¡¯ll waste a few years, but we can afford that.¡±
¡°We could, eh.¡± Edna said. ¡°Alka¡¯s waking up next year. I wonder what he¡¯ll think.¡±
¡°I think he¡¯ll think like us.¡± Stella said matter-of-factly. She chose a book written by one of the Valthorns on strategic expansions.
The two women shared a long comfortable silence. Stella sat down and began to read on one of her finely polished wooden tables, and Edna continued to just look out the window. The view of Freshka from Stella¡¯s mansion was quite good.
¡°Do you think we all think alike? That we¡¯re having a bit of a groupthink going on?¡±
That made Stella pause, and turn to look at the Knight. ¡°Is that something that¡¯s bothering you?¡±
¡°A little. I was actually fairly uncomfortable at how the White Statue marked everyone¡¯s soul and injected them with a ¡®life mission¡¯. But then, I realized not a single one of their denizens thought that way. To them, having a life goal was good. It gave their life purpose, meaning, and it shaped how they directed their time.¡±
Stella wanted to say something, only to stop midway and seemed to think for a long time. Eventually, she continued the conversation. ¡°And I think they have a point. I would¡¯ve loved to know what I was meant to do. Having to figure shit out for ourselves is a pain.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Edna laughed, at first, and then stopped when she realized Stella was serious. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that bad?¡±
¡°I mean, in hindsight, sure it seems that way, but back during the early days when I¡¯m still a lost, sad, depressed painter? Not at all. Those rose tinted glasses are hell of a thing.¡± Stella said. ¡°I would¡¯ve given a lot to have a purpose thrust into my soul, and not just that, it¡¯s something I¡¯d even wholeheartedly believe in.¡±
¡°Do you think Aeon should do that?¡± The knight asked, suddenly. ¡°I mean, hypotheticals, of course. It¡¯s just something I thought about when I saw the fellow people of the White Shore, and I saw purpose.¡±
¡°What? No!¡± Stella said. ¡°It¡¯s crazy. I know that motivation and morale is a big problem over the longer term, but I still think spiritual tampering is still a step too far.¡±
Edna nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡±
***
Lumoof looked at the city of Claritas, and the beautiful white marbled city. He sighed. ¡°Reminds me a little too much of the Magic City, and the prison of the Crystal King.¡±
¡°But a deal is a deal.¡± I countered, and through Lumoof, I could sense the White Statue¡¯s pulsing presence. He was at the heart of a complex web of spiritual connections that was then linked to almost every single citizen of the White Shore. More than anything, I thought that was a level of control even beyond what I was willing to do.
It was similar to Bitu, only, more direct. It was impressive. In a way, though the people around us resembled humans in every way, their actions were guided, and so, they were more like autonomous ants than actual independent people. Only the people from the faraway wildlands were spared of the White Statue¡¯s spiritual meddling.
Lumoof was right at the gates when the guards paused. Our presence didn¡¯t need an introduction, the White Statue must have known we were coming, because a full battalion of highly decorated soldiers stood waiting for us, armed with enough weapons to match the angels, and even Hawa¡¯s elite guards.
The elite White Guards escorted Lumoof through the city. ¡°This way, distinguished guests.¡±
The walk was brief, and somehow, the streets were empty. Not a single one of Claritas¡¯s citizens were on the street when we walked.Somehow, they clearly marked this as a sensitive event.
Unlike Edna¡¯s visit, this time, two of the strongest White Guards escorted Lumoof through the door, and the White Statue¡¯s domain pushed against ours.
¡°I see where your compatriot¡¯s confidence came from. It is rare to see one that bests me in power.¡±
Lumoof nodded as it felt as if two winds swirled around us. A hurricane against a tornado. ¡°Level 200 is still a very respectable power, White one.¡±
¡°Let us get to the matter at hand. I agree that we will spare the pagan god¡¯s summons from a quick death, you agree to tell me what your compatriot hinted at. Everything of these administrators, and the gods you have met.¡±
My priest reacted quickly, unsurprised by how quickly the White Statue got down to business. ¡°In return, we ask that all of the heroes are kept safely. We will take them away from your world when they arrive. I ask that they are fed, in a physically good state and kept healthy until we can retrieve them.¡±
¡°Agreed. You have my promise as the current master of the White Shore. Now for your end of the bargain. Explain.¡±
Lumoof took a moment to pause, catch his breath, and then began his explanation. On our end, we saw no risk to the decision. Not an immediate one where we couldn¡¯t correct. So, he spoke about the Level 250 choice, the existence of the World Faith System, gave an overview of the faith system, and why their ¡®drift¡¯ meant they were fading from some worlds. It was a fairly peaceful process, where Lumoof explained, and the White Statue answered with a nod.
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¡°And that is why we are here, and we still want to rescue the heroes.¡± Lumoof ended.
The White Statue did not respond, but the fluctuation in the spiritual energies around us made it clear that it was deep in thought. The temple only had small windows, but somehow, the winds within were strong.
There was a really long silence, Lumoof was used to it. He was around me so often that he seemed used to the hours I normally took to reply.
The winds then gradually softened, as the White Statue calmed down.
¡°If what you say is true, my earlier punishment of the old gods as pagans was misguided. It truly seems that we lacked context.¡±
I was a little surprised, but then again, I suppose not all gods and domainholders are hostile.
¡°It is easy to assume so when the old gods don¡¯t communicate.¡± Lumoof said with a sigh. ¡°Perhaps it is their arrogance. After all, in their eyes, mere mortals are still way beneath them. Informing us costs faith points, and there¡¯s nothing much that could be done even if we knew.¡±
The White Statue clearly wanted to correct, because the statue¡¯s hand moved, but then, it stopped. Again, after a few minutes of silence, it continued. ¡°To think that even lesser deities like us remain insignificant.¡±
Lesser deities.
¡°Less so. Less so.¡± Lumoof said, and he decided to go on the charm offensive. The rare moment of vulnerability suggested the White Statue was open to negotiations. ¡°But I see you have built a great world here, and you have a way of defeating the demon king.¡±
¡°We do. More specifically, I do.¡± The White Statue answered. ¡°As a statue, I can shift my being and presence to any of my other statues, and with that statue, I fight the demon king. I leave a little fragment of me behind, hidden amongst my other statues, so that I can regenerate if defeated. But we¡¯ve gotten better at fighting the demon kings, though in my earlier centuries I still had to borrow the powers of the pagan summons. This was long before this drift, and back when my world resembled yours very much.¡±
¡°It is an impressive thing to do. It¡¯s a feat few worlds can claim to have achieved.¡± Lumoof answered. For a Level 200 plus to defeat a demon king isn¡¯t thoroughly impossible. Maybe it¡¯s power set was better suited to combat than mine.
¡°It is so. But we must look forward. If there is this option at Level 250, then I must now prepare for it.¡± The White Statue answered. ¡°It will take a few centuries to get the levels needed, since the demon kings only arrive once every 20 to 25 years. Unfortunately, nothing else provides experience like them.¡±
Lumoof didn¡¯t want to suggest the obvious. He could also defeat the demon kings on other worlds. The White Statue was likely smart enough to know that was an option, but unless he mentioned it, he wasn¡¯t going to suggest it.
There was no track record to justify continued trust, but its explanation of how the White Statue¡¯s soul was spread across all the statues revealed a key point if one day we were enemies. It was able to separate its spirit and spread it to all of its statues. It wasn¡¯t a full clone like mine, but still, a decent failsafe.
Once again, the two stood as the White Statue continued to be in thought.
After a while, it asked. ¡°Long ago, this world had two of the old gods. Hawa, and Neira. Have you encountered them?¡±
¡°Only Hawa.¡±
¡°I see. If you meet Neira, I ask that I be informed. I have some ancient grudges to settle. My existence today can be traced to a Neiran blood ceremony. A ceremony to bless a statue to serve as a guardian for this city, and our old pagan ways involved blood sacrifices. I was once a doctor, I forgot how many thousand years ago, and I was sacrificed against my will and my spirit was thrust into the Statue.¡±
Lumoof looked, but off my head, without any special intervention, moving a soul from one body to another was such a traumatic process that only hero-souls survived. Our own experiences on our death row prisoners informed us that it is fairly difficult to encase a person¡¯s soul in a new host, unless special powers like mine were involved. Blood magic and sacrifices rarely met the conditions needed for it to happen successfully. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t work. The soul usually doesn¡¯t survive such traumatic damage.¡±
¡°Yes. But I was no ordinary mortal. My soul was stronger. Much stronger, and so my spirit lived when thousands of sacrifices before me failed. It is a cruel irony that they were right to do so. I did protect my world from the demons for tens of thousands of years.¡±
¡°You purged all belief in the old gods?¡±
¡°Almost. I cursed them for creating me, but in time, I¡¯ve come to a state of peace. Now, the wildfolks still carry on their weird beliefs, but there must be some chaos to give my men a concept of order and purpose, so I tolerate their existence.¡± At that moment, I thought that we were quite similar. The system encouraged conflict. Rewarded struggles, challenges. So, for Order to be, there must be a state of Disorder. ¡°The old dungeons too. We needed their special resources and the monsters, so I left them as they are. As controlled opponents.¡±
In the end, the two domain holders looked at each other once more. Lumoof thought it was mostly over, and so. ¡°I believe that is all. If there is nothing else, we will return.¡±
Again, another wait. It was not too long.
¡°It is most unusual to meet someone that I could finally claim to be an equal. We will honor the agreement, I will spare those summoned by the drifting gods. And there is one more thing.¡±
My avatar stopped, turned and looked at the statue once more.
¡°I wish to join your pantheon and this fight against the demons.¡±
I was stunned, and Lumoof was too. We couldn¡¯t answer immediately.
***
Treehome
There was a quietness on Treehome. With so many of my level 100s deployed on the other worlds, the city¡¯s ultra high end market was significantly quieter. The merchants especially felt it, because many of their regular customers, those who belonged to my elites, were all away for long stretches, and that had a knock on impact.
They still worked with my mid-tier Valthorns, many of them were busy preparing for their own trips to the other worlds. We didn¡¯t have much of a choice. The order may be a massive, and very powerful institution, but the very nature of how levels are gained and the exponential nature of the experience requirement meant it was a lot slimmer at the top.
Those that provided ¡®lifestyle goods¡¯ to the elites instead have to redirect their production to provide portable goods. Goods that my elites could take to their faraway deployment. Even though a few years honestly just felt like a few weeks to me, for my elites and for the businesses, they still had to make adjustments.
The crafters, those directly under our employ, and indirectly as subcontractors or outsourced manufacturers, continued to experience huge quantities of orders, though the nature of production now shifted towards infrastructure goods.
Now that Lumoof, Edna and myself could handle demon kings, my central planners anticipated a slowdown in crystal bomb production requirements. This was a resource requirement that choked the world¡¯s economies, such that the past ten to twenty years were periods of ultra high crystal prices.
Strategically, we would continue to rebuild our crystal weapons stockpile consumed during the Demon¡¯s Comet incident, but as a whole, the pace of this replenishment could be reduced. This would have a knock on effect on the prices and profitability of crystal mines everywhere if we suddenly reduced our purchases, so the Order as a whole continued to buy, though at a reducing trend.
Instead, I¡¯d like to figure out a better use of the magical storage properties of crystals for the war effort, not as weapons, but as some form of utility tool. We already have crystals capable of doing computations, recording images, storing bits of memory, and we have also used crystals as temporary spell cores, where they created an area of effect that enhanced or weakened things and people in their immediate vicinity.
I didn¡¯t have many ideas of my own, so I put it to the Valthorns for ideas.
There was feedback on the ground for some kind of deployable protective spheres, so that the Valthorns could quickly protect injured non-combatants from attacks, from our experience with the natives. Alternatively, a mobile food and healing kit, stored as spells within a set of crystals.
Maybe Alka would have some ideas when he finally reawakened.
Deep within my main tree, Alka floated in a pod that dabbled with powers that made no sense to me. His body was reconstructed by an automated will that could only be the system, his flesh reconstructed in bits and pieces in a way that is more as if a perfect replica was being built.
I tried my best to understand it, but truly the system understood Alka¡¯s existence at a level of depth that I couldn¡¯t capture.
When I looked at Alka¡¯s reconstruction, I saw parallels with the void layers and Shrubhome. Maybe the system had a mirrorworld where Alka still lived, and what happened was a perfect copy.
It is times like this where I question the fundamental nature of the system, because when a world popped out of nowhere is hard to grasp for those without the mental flexibility to contemplate how the state of existence could just flip from nothing into something.
¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Just accept it.¡± Stella once said. ¡°The void sea is many things, and it¡¯s quite hard to pin down what it is. The Zaratan I met once said it is a state of all that is not existence, and more. It is a state of possibility. When we carve a path through the void sea, the Zaratans once described it as walking in a type of dream-like space, where things exist if you imagine it to exist, and could supply the void energy to motivate the void sea to respond to your imagination.¡±
Even that didn¡¯t grasp the full scale of the void.
Increasingly, I felt that staring into the void was like going into the inner workings of this world.
I wondered if we ventured deep enough, did the void layers lead to Earth?
Or perhaps, an Earth-like world?
***
304. Border Control III
Year 276 (III)
Even though the interaction with the White Shore went decently well, it made us curious of the intricacies of the World Faith System, specifically, how the entire hero summoning system worked. So, Lumoof decided it was important enough to travel back to Hawa¡¯s core world to figure it out.
Lumoof landed back in the world of Satrya, and the little relic in his hand whirled. Here, closer to Hawa, the item itself recharged faster. There was already divine energy in the world itself, and all the relic had to do was tap into it.
Stella¡¯s ability to move through the void space is overpowered in it¡¯s own way. For one, it made it easier for us to speak.
¡°I have more questions.¡± I asked through Lumoof. ¡°Some of the worlds we encountered have powerful domain holders that have taken hold of those worlds, and protected them from the demon kings. Interfering with what they do to the heroes may cause a confrontation. How does the hero summoning work in detail? In such situations, can you stop summoning heroes?¡±
¡°Which worlds?¡±
¡°The 13th world, Khubor, and the 15th one, White Shore.¡± I answered.
The relic hummed, and then. ¡°Wait a moment-¡±
I thought that was weird.
But a split second later. ¡°Interesting. The system allowed me to cancel future hero summons for White Shore.¡±
¡°Wait. You can do that?¡±
¡°I am obligated to summon heroes if I do not have information, or if situations change. But, if I receive reliable information that those worlds are self-sufficient, as gods, I can raise a dispute on my faith point spending for these worlds. The intention of the system is to bind the gods together for mutual protection. If there¡¯s no need for protection, I can raise an objection. The System permeates everything, it knows whether the information is legitimate or not.¡±
That made both myself and Lumoof wonder whether we could trick the World Faith System into verifying information on our behalf. ¡°But, why doesn¡¯t the World Faith System cancel it automatically?¡±
¡°The Gods prefer that everyone participates in an arrangement, rather than everyone opting out. There are also factors that the System may not be able to foresee. But for Khubor- It seems that my information is not yet sufficient. Did you meet said domain holder?¡±
¡°-No. Not yet.¡±
¡°Perhaps that is how the System verifies whether you know, or not.¡±
¡°Is this because you can¡¯t see those worlds?¡± I countered. ¡°Why can¡¯t you spend faith points to verify it yourself?¡±
¡°I could, yes. My information on these peripheral worlds is scarce, and all I could tell is that my heroes die. I feel the link of magic to the heroes fade, and that a demon king died. I do not know who participated in the battle, or how it died. It also does not help that there¡¯s a huge lack of followers on these worlds, so they do not transmit fragments of their knowledge to me on death.¡±
¡°And you won¡¯t?¡±
¡°If you will meet this existence anyway, I may as well save on the faith points.¡±
¡°True. You learn from people dying?¡± In hindsight, that seemed obvious.
¡°I learn from prayers. I learn from the death of my followers. I learn from those who have faith, and offer me sacrifices. It is the power of the World Faith System. Their Faith in me provides the knowledge I need to act.¡±
It is similar to my ability to collect souls, but the World Faith System does work on a larger scale. ¡°Does this work if the soul gets stolen?¡±
¡°No. When the spirit of a dead person enters the void, that is when the fragment of their identity merges with the system, where I would then collect it. If the soul fails to reach the void sea, then I do not gain it.¡±
Ah. So Khubor has been indirectly cutting information off by stealing the souls of the dead. ¡°Why does the system force you to protect these worlds?¡±
¡°It is the old gods, each unable to trust each other, but need each other¡¯s faith to collectively protect the worlds from the system. So, the old gods weaved this requirement into the World Faith System in its nascent stage, to compel all of us to do our part. A mutual defense pact.¡±
Trust, or lack thereof. I saw parallels of this in so many things, where collective action is needed to get out of problems, but when each acted selfishly, it led to the worst type of outcomes. It¡¯s unfortunately just game theory playing out on a large scale.
¡°Naturally, the old gods didn¡¯t think the lesser deities needed to play a role.¡±
¡°That does not seem like a glowing testimony of the other god¡¯s personalities.¡±
¡°Those who have power are often a little bit paranoid, even when they don¡¯t need to be. If you have a visit to the domain holder of Khubor, that will help my ability to dispute the hero summon.¡±
On some level, I felt it rather comical that gods still have to engage in information gathering to argue their own case. It¡¯s as if the system was this irritating system of governance that didn¡¯t want to move unless prodded.
Year 277
Alka¡¯s revival happened without much warning.
It just happened one moment when his eyes opened, and the pod naturally unfurled to release him from his long sleep. Then, his domain expanded, reasserting its presence on the world around him.
¡°It¡¯s good to be awake. I was in a really, really long dream.¡± He said, as he realized where he was. Somehow, he knew I was there watching. Maybe it was my presence.
¡°Good to have you back, friend.¡± I said, as I alerted the rest of the domain holders. They were all on their way back.
He blinked, stretched, and picked up a robe that was already gathering dust. ¡°You¡¯ve waited a long time.¡±
¡°A little. Seventeen years is a long time, and much has happened.¡±
Alka looked outside, and he could feel it. ¡°I know I just came out of a pod, but I¡¯m already eager to head back and have a [dream academy] replaying the years I¡¯ve missed.¡±
¡°That¡¯ll have to wait. The rest of them are on their way here.¡±
¡°Ah. Fine. I guess they¡¯ll miss me after- seventeen years? Man, that long dream is so misleading, I thought I was asleep for only a few years.¡±
¡°Did you get anything for your sacrifice?¡± I asked, curious whether he leveled. ¡°Any new abilities?¡±
¡°Surprisingly, yes. I¡¯m now Level 171, and I¡¯ve gotten the ability [Physical Mana Manifestation]. It¡¯s the ability to turn raw mana, both mine and others, into a kind of physical object which can then be used as a bomb. In a way, it¡¯s pure mana as a bomb, no intermediaries, no need for crystals and all that sort of stuff. Right now, we store mana in crystals and various potato storages spread throughout the world, but this physical mana manifestation pretty much leaps through them and turns the mana emitted from our souls into a physical object that can be used as a bomb, and maybe a battery.¡±
¡°Wait. Wait. Doesn¡¯t that mean you could use my mana to create a very big bomb?¡± I said, realizing how this power interacted with my own extensively large mana pool. Of all the domain holders, I had the largest mana pool by multiple orders of magnitude.
¡°Well- yes. There¡¯s got to be some downside to it-¡± Alka said, and after a few seconds, he figured it out. ¡°Ah. Handling. It¡¯s kinda fragile and could easily blow up. Because it¡¯s like pure mana in physical form, anyone not strong enough could easily get mana overload and mana poisoning. And it also decays over time, though relatively negligible when compared to how frequently we use crystal bombs.¡±
¡°The bombs may be obsolete, though. We¡¯re at the level where we can handle demon kings.¡± I had to correct him, though I could see such a physical bomb as a powerful tool on the Sun-Rings. If we could blow it up, we didn¡¯t even need to rely on Hawa¡¯s divine weapon, whatever that was.
Alka paused as the bombshell just hung in the air. After a few seconds, he spoke again. ¡°I really do need to get to that [dream academy] and have a recap of what happened in the past seventeen years. I missed out on a lot.¡±
¡°Yeah. In a way.¡±
At about that time, the door to the pod opened and the rest of the domainholders gave Alka a big group hug. It was a strangely nice feeling to see my domain holders give Alka a hug.
¡°It¡¯s really you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Stella laughed.
Alka rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. ¡°Maybe. Maybe the real me died that day and what you see now is a perfect replica.¡±
¡°It is a perfect replica, physically.¡± I answered. ¡°But his soul is the same one.¡±
Stella grinned. ¡°Good enough, I guess.¡±
I allowed my domain holders to have a half a day to catch up, and then Alka, as he requested, had a long few days digesting the events of the past seventeen years in my [dream academy].
***
We needed to hold the worlds, for a period of time.
At least for one or even two demon king cycles. Alka had a lot of ideas in his mind after he reviewed the data, and one of the first things he did was calculate whether we could blow up the Sun-Rings with his new ability.
Our initial information was fairly encouraging. It would leave a rather big hole, and the Sun-Rings are such a massive object that it would likely survive. If we could make bombs equal to ten times my current mana, it should leave a large crack. With Edna and Lumoof¡¯s ability to fend off the demon kings, we could potentially destroy the Sun-Rings if we hit it multiple times.
I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll be enough to destroy the strange demonic barrier that blocked our view of the inner demon realms, but we will have to try.
¡°So, now that you know what¡¯s up, what do you plan to do?¡±
The dwarven master alchemist laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I have some dreams I suddenly feel like fulfilling.¡±
¡°Oh, alright, what will it be?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make a trip to Delvegard.¡± Alka said with a stereotypical dwarven grin. ¡°That seems like the best place to get me up to speed and relive some of my fantasies.¡±
***
Lausanne, the world of Magisar.
Lausanne stood on the edge of their newly built city. There were few demons these days, in the past few months, even more demons were slain, and increasingly, their once skeptical refugees and escapees from the towers began to see the merit of their ways.
There truly was nothing like power.
Sadly, not everyone saw it that way.
¡°There¡¯s a planned rebellion to push us out, milady.¡± One of her subordinates reported during a regular weekly meeting. The actual Valthorn force deployed on Magisar wasn¡¯t large, only a hundred to two hundred. The Valthorn¡¯s extensive weakening of the demons, together with an alliance of the mages that supported the battles, gave the local Tower Masters the wrong idea.
The Tower Masters presumed that the Valthorns only comprised two hundred to three hundred or so mages, and they were thinking of overwhelming the entire Valthorn force during one of the battles against the demons.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
In some ways, the Valthorns supplied the ingredients for the Tower masters to plan the rebellion. The destruction of various demonic hives meant the disruptions were removed, and the old [message] networks were restored.
So, the Tower Masters, eager to regain control over the entire world and place as the rulers of the world, quickly plotted with their peers.
In their minds, 10,000 mages across the ten or twenty or so towers would be enough to take on two hundred or so Valthorns. In order to make it happen, the Tower Masters would all deploy some secret teleportation scrolls to launch the attack together.
¡°Why do people do things like this?¡± Lausanne sighed, as she heard the full scope of what the Valthorn spies discovered. ¡°Do they truly think they¡¯ll win?¡±
¡°They might, if the Tower Masters themselves arrive.¡± One of Lausanne¡¯s assistants answered. ¡°They don¡¯t quite understand the full scope of our strength.¡±
Both Ebon and Hoyia were redeployed to other worlds, and she looked at the report again.
¡°At least half of their mages will die if we let this attack happen. That¡¯s a massive waste of magical talent.¡± Lausanne said with a sigh.
¡°I think we should haul up the Tower Masters. Let them know what exactly they are facing.¡±
Lausanne paused, as she thought about it. ¡°Is that the best course of action? I mean, how can we truly solidify our impression on the Magisarians that we truly mean to help them.¡±
Each of them suggested different ideas, but was there really a way to stop the conflict in such a way that would show them the gap between the two forces? Something that would truly show the Magisarians that in a real ¡®war¡¯, there really is a huge gap?
Something that would truly spare them the enemies?
In the end, Lausanne thought of a few different ways to solve the problem, but ultimately, the solution was some variant of Aeon¡¯s Perspective.
Fear.
She hated using fear to convince others, but there are times there is no choice.
Fear was a survival tool, and for those scheming against them, it would save their lives. There are those who didn¡¯t think it through. Perhaps the hold of their old system was too strong.
It was hard for people to change overnight, what more such a large, cultural change.
Fear was a fence. It would keep them safe. Conflict was inevitable, sometimes, this conflict was peaceful, sometimes, it was deadly. As Aeon¡¯s envoy to these worlds, they had an incentive to keep things peaceful.
It was kind. She knew and spoke to some of the Magisarians that would rebel. They even fought together briefly during one of the earlier attacks on the demons.
She tried her best for the charm offensive. To convince their minds that choosing Aeon was the right choice. But in the end, the presence of the domain holders on Magisar was fairly temporary, and only a few felt what is like to stand before what
She double checked, and together with her team, came up with a plan. One that would allow the archmages to go all the way, only for it to fail at the last moment.
***
The Tower Masters wanted to strike during one of the larger offensives against the demon hives. They saw that as their last window of opportunity where quite a few of the Valthorns would be gathered in the same place. 3,000 mages of the various Magisarian Towers were supporting the attack, and at the same time, about 6,000 more mages from across the field.
Lausanne was there, as were ninety of the other Valthorns deployed to Magisar prepared for the battle. Only about half of them knew of the coming betrayal, so the other half that didn¡¯t would be updated at the last minute, and sent into the demonic hives first.
¡°Lady Lausanne.¡± A Magisarian mage came over, there was a trembling in his hands. ¡°Will we launch the attack on the demons soon?¡±
Lausanne looked at the hive, as a Magisarian mage walked over. He was one of those who joined the refugee camps. Yet somehow, the Tower Masters promised him great titles, positions and wealth if he cooperated with their schemes. She would¡¯ve understood if it was someone like Lezzan, the old leader of the refugees that decided to side with the Tower Masters.
Some of those left not because they were against the structure of society, but merely because they did not benefit from it.
The Valthorns played the political game of Magisar, and won the right to rule through their magical prowess. Alas, the game was there only when it benefited them. Already, the Tower masters whispered how it wasn¡¯t meant to allow foreigners to come and claim the Towers, even if it was never formally written down.
Lausanne looked at the demonic hives. It was quite far away, and the mage¡¯s pulse was ragged. He didn¡¯t have much sleep.
The demonic golem hives were crowded, there were the large demonic golem champions. ¡°Yes. Soon. This is the last demonic hive. What¡¯s left is only the King, and we will get to that soon. Are you ready?¡±
The mage gave a nod, but his body language was unnatural. He knew today would be the day the natives would try to flush out these ¡®invaders¡¯.
¡°It will be a glorious day. The day of the last hive purged from Magisar.¡± Lausanne explained. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be recorded as the Battle of Nothlend¡¯s Valley.¡±
The native mage could only nod.
¡°Maybe you have another name for today?¡± Lausanne teased, and she felt the native mage tremble. There was something he wanted to say, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Relax, it¡¯s just a joke. It¡¯s just the first step. Rebuilding your world is going to take a while.¡±
Lausanne sighed, and tapped the Magisarian mage on the shoulder.
¡°Change is hard. Removing threats doesn¡¯t mean Magisar is ready to be a member of the wider world, and the society must be ready to contribute, just as it will receive aid and rewards for doing so.¡±
She wondered whether he would hesitate at the last moment.
The archmage Blackmoore led the charge into the demonic hive, as the Valthorns struck first. They always did. The native army¡¯s role was just to support the Valthorns¡¯ assault.
She glanced at a corner, and sighed. The mage bowed as he tried his best not to expose their plot. ¡°I must go prepare, Lady Lausanne.¡±
He didn¡¯t. It was a shame that someone she thought would be receptive to change still wanted the old order.
Lausanne sighed, and felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. ¡°A good try, Lausanne. But do not worry, they won¡¯t be harmed in the little demonstration.¡±
The elf nodded. She led the rest of the deployed Valthorns. ¡°Valthorns!¡± She shouted, as the rest of the Valthorn force gathered around her. ¡°Let us destroy the last demonic hive!¡±
The small group of high level Valthorns roared, and they all charged into the demonic hives. Only Lausanne and another Valthorn stayed back. The scheme had begun, as she felt the activation of teleportation spells. The army of the local Magisarian mages grew, as hundreds more mages joined the existing army, and then, the Tower Masters appeared.
She had to focus to feel them moving around. They didn¡¯t shine like the Valthorns.
¡°Attack!¡± The shout came from behind the lines, and Lausanne closed her eyes. She turned and saw a trembling mage. The same mage that spoke to her, and their eyes met. The mages launched a volley at the demonic hives. The hives were done for, anyway.
¡°Attack the invaders.¡± The second volley was the key signal.
The mage steeled himself, and yet, Lausanne stared into his eyes and said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±
He did, anyway. He raised his magical staff, as did many others, and they all launched a spell, this time aimed at the Valthorns.
The spells were fired, and smashed into Lausanne¡¯s protective wooden shields. The Tower Masters flew overhead, they were armed in all their best weapons, and a battering of spells smashed into Lausanne¡¯s shields.
¡°Die, invaders!¡± They said.
Lausanne¡¯s shield held. They underestimated the sheer gap of power between them.
¡°No one is hurt, yet.¡± Lausanne heard the same familiar voice in her head. She nodded.
The Valthorns that knew of the betrayal quickly moved to protect their peers that didn¡¯t. Lausanne emerged at the center of a heavily damaged crater, and looked at the Tower Masters. ¡°So this is what you¡¯ve elected, Tower Masters?¡± Lausanne said with a smile that terrified the Tower masters.
One of them had a look at the grin on her face and knew they had fucked up.
¡°You¡¯ve brought quite an army to support this attack, and yet your attacks fail to even get past my shields.¡± Lausanne declared. In truth, very few in the world could. Her shields came with Aeon¡¯s special blessings, and that meant her shields were always above and beyond everyone else, only those in the domain could match her.
Lausanne walked towards the group of thirty or so Tower Masters, many of these floating Towers had a few Tower Masters, not all of them were here. They were wise to do so.
¡°All you¡¯ve brought is an audience for your execution.¡± Lausanne declared, as the Tower Masters panicked. The second wave of spells smashed into her shields and did nothing.
The mood in the thousands of mages present changed.
¡°You must wonder why we are strong.¡± Lausanne declared.
Lumoof¡¯s invisibility vanished right next to her, but his presence was zero. He hid his powers.
¡°Tower Masters, come.¡± Lausanne declared. ¡°Show me the nerve of your resistance. The fire that possessed you to fight us.¡±
The Tower Masters did, a few of the ringleaders shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t fear her! She¡¯s just taunting us!¡±
Their spells gathered, and just then, a wave of anti-magic spread throughout the entire valley. Lausanne nodded at Lumoof briefly, the [anti magic aura] meant not many would be hurt.
¡°Come.¡± Lausanne said, as the army of mages realized quite a few of their magical equipment and spells were not functioning.
¡°What- what¡¯s happening?¡± The disbelief in the army.
Lausanne withdrew a spear of anti-magic, a pure glass weapon. To the magic-sensitive Magisarians, it was akin to staring into a whirlpool that drained magic from around it.
The Tower Masters had to use higher tier spells that were unaffected by the anti-magic aura. They all smashed helplessly into Lausanne¡¯s anti-magic spear. She walked towards them menacingly, while the lower level mages were rendered not much more than regular, magic-less foot soldiers.
Her physicality meant she reached them, and she gave them a punch. Their shields were useless, all it took was a light poke by her spear and its magical energies were sapped. They were not built for rigor. .
The army of mages watched helplessly.
¡°These are your tower masters.¡± Lausanne declared, as she flung the bloodied tower masters on the floor. ¡°They led you, and told all of you that made you believe you had a chance.¡±
She glared.
¡°All of you are just fodder. They are more than prepared to see three quarters of you die, just so that they can stand atop of your world once more.¡±
The army of mages of Magisar were generally below Level 60.
And yet, to Lausanne¡¯s bewilderment, they raised their weapons. She saw in their eyes those who dared to fight them. If only they used that daring against the demons instead of them.
¡°Even before those who are twice your levels, do you really want to do this?¡± Lausanne asked, and those present were shocked. ¡°You might still think you have a chance against me?¡±
She looked at the group of Tower Masters, and they were still somehow defiant. Their spells blasted into her wall of wooden shields. Those who followed them attacked with their own weapons. Some of them held hero-items.
A waste of such good weapons in the hands of lesser mages for the purpose of a power struggle.
Why?
Were they unfair to them? All they did was round up their army, and cobbled them together into a unified fighting force. And yet, they used that opportunity to rebel against them instead.
She glared at the Tower masters, and they did not relent.
She saw courage. Misplaced courage, in the heart of the mages who believed they were fighting an occupier.
Were they occupiers? Lausanne knew they were not.
Yet somehow, despite their spies and allies, the Tower Masters managed to convince so many mages that they were. That these mages and wizards were freedom fighters.
Courage. They were driven into a frenzy as the Tower Masters continued their attack. She could feel them use some kind of magic that blessed the mages under their banner, and raise their spirits.
Words would not do now.
Lausanne¡¯s eyes looked into those mages that stood against them, despite being so outclassed. They believed her reluctance to hurt them as a sign that they had a chance.
So brave and yet so foolish.
She felt sad for them, because she did not really want to use Aeon¡¯s presence to crush their spirits. She had seen those broken by Aeon¡¯s presence, and it was hard for them to find their courage again.
Yet the alternative was death. The alternative was a spell that would hurt them. Or a perpetual guerilla rebellion as these mages continued to believe their chances.
Lumoof waited. It would be her call as the temporary leader of the Valtrian Magisar Division.
She weighed the odds in her heart, and finally relented. ¡°Lumoof, let us show them who stands at the heart of our organization.¡±
Aeon¡¯s Avatar descended, and the air instantly turned oppressive, and the Tower Masters gazed at the sky, only to see darkness. The sun was blocked, as the towering presence loomed over the entire army.
¡°With each rebellion, and each resistance, the perceived value of your world to us diminishes.¡± Lausanne declared. ¡°Those of us here are trying to prove that your world still has value, and thus should be trained to be a part of the bigger war.¡±
In the face of something like Aeon, somehow everything just stopped. The mages looked in foolish courage only to find an abyss of stars looking back at them.
In Aeon¡¯s Avatar they saw the cruel reality that they never stood a chance.
In that moment, Lausanne rushed ahead, and grabbed one of the mastermind¡¯s robes, and pulled him up. They were vulnerable. The Magisarians were never a physical kind, and next to Lausanne, this much was clear. Lausanne was a slim elven woman, but her limbs were all strong, dense, and flexible.
¡°We¡¯ve known of your schemes for a while.¡± Lausanne declared loudly to the man¡¯s face, but its intended audience was everyone else. ¡°It is quite convenient that you¡¯ve identified those with rebellious tendencies for us.¡±
The army of mages all panicked, but they had no words. They were unable to. The pressure that pressed on them was now too strong.
¡°I had such high hopes.¡± The elven lady sighed, she spotted the traitorous mage hiding in the crowd. ¡°All of you will live, but your loyalties were tested today, and found lacking. Return to your home cities and towers, mages. All of you are now barred from all preference trades and all benefits with the Order are suspended until you¡¯ve atoned for your rebellion.¡±
Through Lumoof, a group of three hundred or so Valthorns appeared. It was a temporary deployment, a force that was meant for the other worlds, but Lausanne borrowed them to control the rebellion.
The Tower Masters could not resist, as Aeon¡¯s vines wrapped around them.
Lausanne sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later. The rest of them, please send them home.¡±
There was no need to imprison them. The fear will haunt them for the rest of the month. The power of [Haunted Forest] at Aeon¡¯s level is an imprint on their psyche.
The Tower Masters knew they were doomed. Some of them expected death.
Lausanne sighed, and still, she didn¡¯t want to kill them. There was no need for death when there are demons to kill. ¡°I believe these Tower Masters are in need of some perspective.¡±
They were whisked away for a good year-long trip on Lavaworld.
Thus, one of the most peaceful failed rebellions on Magisar, where the only injuries are some bloodied faces and bruises.
But the scar on the minds of Magisar¡¯s mages will take an eternity to heal.
305. Border Control IV
Chapter 305
Year 277 (Part II)
I couldn¡¯t immediately decide on the White Statue¡¯s offer, and at this point, there was not enough trust between us to even begin offering it a position. In short, we barely knew each other, and we would have to wait for a few rounds of safe ¡®hero-returns¡¯ before we could seriously consider his offer.
So, that was what Lumoof did. A simple visit, where we remarked that we appreciated the offer, but we were unable to decide on it, until we had built up a history of cooperation and trust. We would like to see it deliver on its promises to spare the heroes, and from there, decide how to move forward.
The White Statue understood, and didn¡¯t seem hostile.
A part of me feared whether it would retaliate for rejection, but then, if it did retaliate, then that solved whether it was someone we could work with, since it did not respond to what was a reasonable request.
The problem was, Hawa had removed the World Faith System¡¯s future hero summons, and thus, there was no real way of testing whether the White Statue would hold up it¡¯s end of the bargain.
On some level, the White Statue was not yet a threat. It had hero-level combat strength, which made it very powerful, but it didn¡¯t have the means to move to worlds. If it did, then it had all the components necessary to establish an entity like the Valtrian Order.
Other than its past records of killing heroes, in aggregate, a White Statue-like empire throughout the multiverse would be a net benefit, just like Raph¡¯s angels.
There are forces within the Valtrian Order uncomfortable supporting an entity that could one day grow into a force that rivaled our own.
But that is nature, isn¡¯t it?
There will always be competition, and those unable to compete have to find their own niche.
For me, I was comfortable letting these existences grow. I saw them as good, and it was not as if we were the only power around. There are still the old gods, and though the old gods are more ¡®clustered¡¯ in nature, they still formed a powerful force that would hinder the expansion of potentially expansionist empires.
I believe it may be a good idea to send the White Statue to one of the demon worlds, let it experience what are the types of foes we face, and the lines of our war. Eventually, I would let it have it¡¯s first expansion, to one of the many new worlds that we encounter.
I thought about Raph, and the angels, and wondered whether it was wrong for us to just avoid them altogether. Maybe I should revisit them someday, because by just ignoring them, did I just sweep the problem under the rug?
Maybe I did.
Maybe we all did.
Knowing that, I thought about the White Statue and Raph.
Raph and the Angelworld leaned strongly authoritarian, and in hindsight, that may be what is needed during a period of chaos, especially dealing with a populace that is not familiar or able to operate within more collaborative methods.
From those experiences, and having seen the White Statue¡¯s Empire, my previous action of ignoring them is unlikely to be fruitful. Instead, engagement and guiding them towards a peaceful coexistence would be better for the world as a whole. I believed that the multiverse was big enough for everyone, and even if it wanted to grow, there¡¯s the demon worlds that could be reclaimed to feed all their ambitions.
Ignoring them and letting them sit in their own worlds may be a solution. Destroying them was also one.
But I didn¡¯t think destruction was a good idea.
Would I be better than the demons if I destroyed other races that could¡¯ve helped against the demons?
So, we should do what civilizations do. Diplomacy and engagement.
We should engage with both Raph and the angels of angelworld and also the White Statue and his empire.
They could still be enemies. But at least we¡¯ve given them and their societies a chance to prove themselves.
***
Meanwhile, the Valtrian order¡¯s priorities shifted to the rest of the peripheral worlds. The Valtrian Order deployed my nodes on the chosen worlds, and so we began our expansion.
I watched with great amusement as the mages of Magisar attempted to rebel against us, and was quite happy with how Lausanne dealt with it.
But it did quite suck that many of the interactions eventually ended with, ¡°We have the big guns.¡±
Lumoof didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°If we have the divine on our side, it is best we show it. Power must be known, and must be seen used. Only then, will the people remember it.¡±
But Lausanne didn¡¯t. It was not her ideal outcome.
***
Lausanne, Magisar
The single event reshaped the thoughts among the Magisarians. The mages that survived that event went back with their views of the Valthorns thoroughly changed. She could see it in their face, the mix of horror, awe, and strangely, hope.
It was partly why she hoped to avoid that card.
But she knew she couldn¡¯t. The mages were still eager to fight. She saw, even in spite of the strength she displayed. Even if she swimmingly overwhelmed the Tower masters, some people would die that day. Unnecessarily, because of lies from their old leaders.
It was why she ultimately asked Lumoof to activate Aeon¡¯s Avatar.
But it has consequences.
It was not the first time she met people with such a reaction. She saw this same reaction in those subjected to Aeon¡¯s Perspective. The nobles were all unable to fathom an existence so much greater than themselves that they lost their ability to fathom it.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Gods.
Lausanne sighed. She was privileged in a way different from others. She grew up watching the big tree in her village grow into the ginormous existence that protected their world. To those around her, Aeon was always a god, and they couldn¡¯t see Aeon as anything else. She too, believed in Aeon, but unlike others, she had seen Aeon¡¯s failings, and knew that even gods have flaws.
She saw how it was done, for most parts of the way, and thus she could see even a powerful existence like Aeon wasn¡¯t unreachable.
A part of her wondered to herself whether this was the difference between those who could be domain holders, and those who couldn¡¯t. Somehow, she believed she could be one. No. She saw how it was done, and knew it was entirely possible. Those who aspire to be domain holders must make it a part of them. An innate belief that the gods aren''t something that cannot be reached.
Yet, as she looked at the now subservient mages, she wondered whether such an act would cut off their ability to rise.
The Magisarian mages would be sycophants. The new ¡®zealots¡¯.
She heard of the news through their Valthorn information network. The White Statue imprinted a mission on those it met, woven into their souls. Lausanne knew that Aeon¡¯s Perspective, and using Aeon¡¯s presence on low-leveled existences was pretty much the same thing.
It was an equivalent of a blunt smash into their soul. It was the equivalent of a battering ram breaking down the seemingly impervious castle gates. No one forgets something so clear.
Even the Tower Masters.
The slight trembling in their hand. The awkward jerks when she approached. They remember that moment.
An imprint.
It was no different to the actions of the White Statue.
The presence of a domain holder affects all those who encounter them. Everyone felt the way their existence warped and influenced the world. Because they do.
Lausanne feared that there would come a time where Lumoof and Aeon were so powerful that the mere sight of them would turn those with weaker wills and minds into golems, and so, it is important that the use of Aeon¡¯s Avatar be limited.
¡°Lady Lausanne.¡± The mage knelt in front of her, and there were ten others behind the mage. He didn¡¯t kneel before this, but he was there during the day of the crushed rebellion. All of them were ¡°I- I wish to atone for my sins. We were fools for believing the Tower Master¡¯s lies.¡±
Fear. Worship. Lausanne had seen so many mages who probably went back to their homes and realized that they would have died that day.
It was pathetic.
She shook her head. Her goal was to save lives, and she did so. There was no point coming to the peripheral worlds to save them from the demons, and later on kill the natives due to infighting and rebellion.
It defeated their purpose. The peripheral worlds were not theirs to ¡®claim¡¯. Yet, as she looked at the sorry mages who came, maybe they were already dead.
She didn¡¯t believe those who had their wills broken had the capacity in them to be one of them. Not with what their task called them.
In her eyes, Aeon¡¯s goal of extracting talent from the people of this world would have to wait for the next generation.
¡°If you wish to atone for your mistakes, do your job well, and teach your children well.¡± Lausanne answered, feeling a little resigned. It was a little sad, but for Magisarians with their human-like lifespans, it would just be a few decades.
The mages nodded, and thanked her profusely. She had to resist a sigh. She wondered when Central would finally send over a [Mage Lord] to run the place.
She shook her head. No. She shouldn¡¯t think of her escape.
She¡¯ll do her job well, until her part is done.
***
Alka finally walked on the lands of Delvegard.
¡°This is nice.¡± Alka said as he watched the chaos that unfurled in the valleys below. [Lord] Sundus accompanied him, as were a few other dwarves, and they sat at the vantage point. The vantage point was protected by magic, and so the group saw it fit to bring wine, food, and tables. They all had binoculars or other sort of viewing tools, and watched from their comfortable location, while eating. There was a war between two of the dwarven nations, and they brought out a few of their big guns. Both factions deployed their gigantic war machine. ¡°But it¡¯s so impractical.¡±
Sundus shrugged. ¡°The dwarves fight their wars this way. They don¡¯t do much covert warfare. It¡¯s pure mechanical weaponry and power.¡±
¡°Perhaps no one with other ideas would get sufficient funding and resources.¡± Alka said. The way resources were allocated in Delvegard favored those who preferred to build big war machines. It made them gain levels, and their craftsmen could then go on to build even bigger, better war machines.
¡°Most likely. I¡¯ve met a few low leveled crafters and they were fairly amused when asked to build other things.¡±
¡°If we could show them other ways to fight this war, they¡¯d quickly adopt and copy the new designs.¡± Alka said as he activated some kind of spying skill.
Sundus paused. ¡°Should we really introduce new ways of killing each other to the dwarves?¡±
Alka laughed. ¡°Fair. Have you wondered what it¡¯ll be like if one of Aeon¡¯s carriers came here?¡±
¡°You think- With all due respect, it¡¯s not a good fit, sir.¡± The Dwarven Lord stopped, a little surprised.
¡°It isn¡¯t. It¡¯s a joke.¡± Alka smiled. ¡°But now, have you ever wondered what the dwarves will do?¡±
Sundus realized the question was serious, and momentarily sat there. ¡°They would naturally turn their weapons against us.¡±
¡°But the beetle carriers fly high above these dwarven contraptions.¡± Alka said. ¡°Barring the crystal weapons of the dwarves, there is hardly anything that could hurt them. Now, beyond that, these carriers are expendable. Consider what will happen to the politics of this world.¡±
¡°They will band together. But, we¡¯ll be like demons.¡±
Alka said. ¡°And that¡¯s the problem. How do we stop people from fighting each other? In almost every world we¡¯ve been to, it is always a powerful force enforcing social order, because fighting is advantageous to the rebels. The one who cooperates and exists peacefully with their fellow men takes longer to get what they want, while the rebel who fights just takes and gets it now.¡±
A classic prisoner¡¯s dilemma. If everyone cooperates and coexists peacefully, there is potential to have even more than the spoils of war. And yet, because there is no way to enforce trust and peace without weapons, and the one who behaves peacefully is almost always at a disadvantage, everyone is then forced to prepare for war, which diverts resources away from a place of wealth.
¡°So, we can do what Aeon did on Threeworlds and Mountainworld. Establish a colony and recruit people. Then, the natives turn on us because they fear our rising power, and then, they remember to keep their distance for a while. Is there a better way?¡± Alka asked. ¡°Would it be better if we came in with overwhelming force, so that we are seen as invaders, and force the locals to obey?¡±
Sundus frowned. It was true what they did now on Delvegard was more of the same. Slow expansion by establishing a small base of operations.
¡°Or, we take what we want. The talents. The resources. How do we undermine what sustains the war on this world?¡±
Sundus paused as he realized it was similar to how the Order drained the vassal wars of its fire. By taking out the winds. ¡°We steal all the void weapons. That would absolutely cut off all the supply of Sunsteel and Sunmetal, and the existing nations would have to resort to old weapons.¡±
¡°That is one. Two, we begin a wide scale collection of the talented crafters. Recruitments. Spies. We need to give the talented crafters of these dwarven worlds reason to leave, and also a damned good reason to join us. The academies are valuable, but its contents can be stolen. It is the people that we need. People who we can redeploy to build new types of weapons for use against the demons, instead of fighting these repetitive wars.¡±
Sundus nodded. ¡°So, first, we need to engage in wide scale theft of weapons, and a good amount of private visits.¡±
¡°Great. Glad you see it my way.¡± Alka tapped the Lord. ¡°Can I count on you to make it happen?¡±
Sundus shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll treat my best.¡±
¡°Good. As for me, I¡¯ll infiltrate one of these craft academies, build up a dossier of talented individuals, learn their secrets, and then, when we are ready, we¡¯ll convince those we can, and rebuild a version of the dwarven academies somewhere secure.¡±
***
306. Border Control V
Year 278
¡°For the worlds that we don¡¯t intend to spend much time on, let¡¯s just go in, destroy the demons and the demon king. The locals wouldn¡¯t realize anything¡¯s different, and we fulfill our end of the bargain with Hawa.¡± Lumoof repeated. ¡°For those where we intended to deploy a node, we¡¯ll work out a more detailed plan.¡±
¡°Got it.¡± The heroes and the domain holders nodded.
¡°Okay, come. Now let¡¯s go-¡±
Sarlpi
Lumoof and Stella led the way, and they landed on the world of Sarlpi. Once Lumoof went through, the rest of the heroes and domain holders followed, transported through my clone-teleportation ability.
The demon king of Sarlpi was a fire demon, and it waited. The world of Sarlpi was heavily battered, though the few Order operatives on Sarlpi managed to create a safe space for the fire people that still lived.
A few of them would stay back to protect the fire people, in the event that the ice people of the north and south decided to expand, though the unfavorable terrain meant it was unlikely that the ice people would be interested in the lands.
It was fairly easy to find the demon king, and the battle was now trivial.
Sarlpi¡¯s Demon King died in a fairly quick battle. The might of nine domain holders and seven heroes meant what was a formidable challenge for a single hero was thoroughly trivial. The heroes could not believe how easy the battle was over.
¡°I like that this is easy.¡± Samuel breathed a sigh of relief.
Prabu and Colette nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be great if all demon kings are like this, but we have to prepare for demon kings that are like the one on Gigantadragon or Multipus.¡±
The heroes gained a level or two each, and the lower leveled domain holders did as well. But for the three of us that reached Level 200, we didn¡¯t gain a thing.
It was fine. We had to keep moving.
***
Capra
The force landed on the world of Capra, through one of my node trees. The Node Tree was safely placed in one of the Capran Mountaintop Cities.
The Caprans were hospitable, and they were more than happy to send a party with us to witness the battle. The agreeableness of the Capran rulers made it easy for us to work with them, though a part of me wondered whether there was something we didn¡¯t see or realize.
On some level, I suppose it didn¡¯t matter. As long as the Caprans cooperated, provided resources and talent towards our end goal, I didn¡¯t see a need to expect more from them. This was their world, I was just their temporary protector.
Just like on Sarlpi, the battle against the flying demon king of Capra ended quickly. The moment both Lumoof and Edna got on top of the flying demon king, and properly locked it into the ground, the battle was mostly over. Without the incredible mobility of the flying demon king, the rest of the heroes and domain holders hammered the demon king to death.
It was a very different style of battle compared to what the Capran literature depicted. According to their old legends, the battles between demon kings and heroes often brought them across large areas, as their battle crisscrossed the valleys and the towering mountains. As Capran attracted flying demon kings, and the heroes have flight abilities of their own, the old legends were pretty much aerial dogfights and chases through the valleys.
The brutal, up close and personal nature of our forces were a shock, but victory was victory, and we were ready to move.
Capra was free, and we would shift our direction here. On Capra, it was a time for recruitment and reconstruction.
***
Magisar
Lausanne requested that the battle against the demon king be a fairly quiet affair.
The quelling of the rebellion left a visible mark on the way the mages conducted themselves. It was as if the fire in their mage society was suddenly robbed of their fuel. Depression and a sense of sadness seemed to permeate the towers. Those that didn¡¯t participate in it thanked their lucky stars, and the stories of how the rebellion was quelled turned more outlandish at each subsequent revision.
It¡¯ll take some time for this sensation to fade.
¡°Join us, Lausanne. As well as Blackmoore. Those level 140 and above should join the final battle.¡± Lumoof offered the Valthorns. It was voluntary, but in the end everyone who was Level 140 accepted.
We knew from experience that those close to the domain needed it. Edna, Roon and Johann fought in numerous battles against the demon kings before they broke through that unknown barrier.
The battle against Magisar¡¯s golem demon king also went smoothly, and quite a few participants gained a level or two, but sadly, it wasn¡¯t enough to make anyone a domain holder.
It was disappointing, but it made sense.
¡°Our presence is making it too easy.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°But I don¡¯t see why we should stop doing it. There will be many other worlds to take more risks.¡±
With Magisar¡¯s demon king defeated, the group moved on to the next world.
***
Great Steppes
The Armataurs and Lancias were incredibly helpful, and the way they treated the heroes were as if they were the walking embodiment of god itself.
The priests of the two centaur subspecies were gifted with a way of noticing the presence of those who bore the touch of their gods, and so the presence of so many heroes created a controversy among the faithful.
The treehome heroes were not summoned by Hawa, and neither was Khefri or the other heroes. In the first place, their ability to locate ¡®their¡¯ hero only worked specifically to the hero summoned to the Great Steppes, and not elsewhere, but this was a matter that still confused them.
The Armataurs, which worshipped Hawa, and the Lancias who worshipped a god I¡¯ve not met named Zulfa, and in both their religions, they only received two heroes during each and every hero summoning.
One by Hawa, one by Zulfa. Thus, the presence of seven heroes meant the existence of many gods beyond what their creation myths stated. It was a cause of great debate among the priests and faithful.
Some of these priests tried to explain it by some kind of exceptional summoning. Some of them spoke about the coming of a third god, which only made these bunch seem blasphemous to those who believed in the primacy of the twin centaurian gods of Hawa and Zulfa.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
In the end, the great leaders of the two centaurs decided to order an embargo on all information about the presence of so many heroes, in order to prevent any widescale consequences, and restrict the knowledge only to the small group of leaders from both sides.
On our end, it didn¡¯t matter. Their decision came from the desire to maintain peace, prevent unnecessary discord, and protect the current social order of the world. The Hawa and Zulfa faith didn¡¯t need their followers questioning them, and since we¡¯ve decided to let them be, we allowed them to do what they wanted.
We fought the demon king and won swimmingly, and the Great Steppes returned to a time of peace.
***
Treehome
¡°How many demon kings are we planning to fight this year?¡± Samuel asked, slightly unprepared for how frequently he was moved from world to world. The few heroes met in a massive, luxurious lounge set in a mansion, and it was Prabu and Colette¡¯s family home in Freshka. The heroes.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Colette answered, while she briefly glanced out of the large glass windows. Prabu was chasing their daughter Rohana in the fields. Rohana invited some of her school friends over to play, most of them were children of the Valthorn elites that decided to have kids. ¡°But we should be moving soon.¡±
¡°Is it always like this?¡± The hero from Landas asked. ¡°Like- can we have some breaks in between?¡±
¡°Not really. We¡¯ve not had so many demon king battles in a single year, but the peripheral worlds are a relatively new phenomenon.¡± Colette clarified. ¡°But if you want to clarify the schedule, I think you should just ask Kei- and speak of the devil, she¡¯s here.¡±
Kei walked in and waved. ¡°Oh, hello. I¡¯m late, apologies for that. I¡¯ve got the details on the next battle-¡±
Colette cut in. ¡°Samuel¡¯s getting tired of the demon king battles. Could you suggest a way we can build a schedule, that way we get enough advance notice, and I can still arrange time for my kid¡¯s parties?¡±
The crystal golem girl stopped and looked at the mage Colette a little bewildered. ¡°Seriously? You want me to schedule an appointment for each demon king battle?¡±
Samuel stared at Colette. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Maybe he was a little annoyed that Colette just used his question as an excuse to advance her own interests.
Colette shrugged. ¡°I do think schedules are a good thing. For the peripheral worlds we pretty much have all the information we need, and with both Lumoof and Edna- hell, can we suggest that the domain holders take the battles on their own?¡±
The former hero couldn¡¯t quite believe the words she heard, but then again, Colette as a [Liberated hero] is probably the only one who could say such things. The idea of not fighting demon kings is something that gives all the other heroes a great big headache. Kei looked at Colette, no, she stared at the hero, and the mage smiled.
¡°I mean, I get that Aeon wants to spread the levels around, but I kinda think it¡¯s experience that¡¯s wasted on us heroes? It¡¯s not like more levels for us actually help the greater cause.¡± Colette said, once again something only she could say.
Kei rubbed her temple, unsure why her golem body still gave her the same kind of migraines a biological body would experience. Maybe it was a shadow of her soul, a headache felt in her spirit so it is then replicated in her body, whatever it was. ¡°I will bring it up.¡±
¡°Great! I think a good ratio would be one-in-three. We¡¯ll participate in one third of all demon king battles, and the domain holders can take the rest.¡± Colette suggested, more than happy to get out of demon king battles.
¡°Wait!¡± Samuel cut in, his face looked partially in pain. ¡°Why are you suggesting such a thing-¡±
¡°Because I can.¡± Colette smiled. ¡°Live a little, Samuel. You should find a wife, too. Maybe Khefri.¡±
Khefri rolled her eyes, somehow a little more resistant to the hero class¡¯s effects. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m gonna head back to Threeworlds once we¡¯re done with the demon kings.¡±
The two newer heroes, Wira and Rajah, still adopted Gigantadragon as their home, but they too occasionally visited Freshka for a taste of modern life.
All in, seven heroes. Prabu, Colette, Khefri, Adrian, Samuel, Wira and Rajah, all would have to work harder.
Kei frowned. ¡°Well, there¡¯s two demon kings to hit in the Three Ringed World next. I suppose you want a break?¡±
Samuel clearly looked torn, the effects of the hero class trying to exert itself. So Colette answered for him.
¡°Yes. A break. Let¡¯s battle the rest of the demon kings next year. The domain holders can handle it.¡±
Kei nodded. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll see what can be done, there¡¯s only the demon kings on Three Ringed World, Twinspace and Shasan left, a total of four demon kings. The rest are all freed.¡±
Colette nodded. ¡°Great!¡±
***
Three Ringed World
¡°And so we are here after all.¡± Lumoof smiled as the Valthorns followed. There were at least fifty level 140s, Lausanne and Ebon among them. ¡°Since the heroes opted to sit out the next demon king battles, it is thus appropriate for us to try and get some of you to be domain holders.¡±
Everyone knew that already, and yet, it still frightened them. As level 140s, they were decently strong, and could generally survive lesser wounds. Their attacks were also fairly powerful, since they came well equipped with powerful weapons created over the decades.
But death was a possibility, even with Edna¡¯s [Three Strikes] and various protective abilities mitigated quite a few of the risks.
¡°Well, let¡¯s go. Enough models and simulations, it¡¯s time to test out our abilities.¡± Lumoof said, and my forces descended on the demon king.
In Avatar mode, through Lumoof, we could single handedly wrestle with the demon king¡¯s strength, and together we drained the demon king of its magic. With Lumoof around, we pretty much pacified the demon king Edna, Alka, and all the others went all out and the demon king died fairly easily, even without the heroes.
It took us way longer, though. Instead of a battle that finished in two hours or less, fighting the demon king without the heroes now took us a full day.
But we still saw that as a win, since we achieved this without using bombs.
With one of the demon kings defeated, we rested for a few days, and then replicated it with the second demon king.
It was quite a relief that the two demon kings did not assist each other, and instead, somehow operated independently. If we had to face two demon kings at the same time, that would make our battle slightly harder.
So, we freed the Three Ringed World from it¡¯s demon kings.
My Valthorns mostly gained a few levels here and there, and yet, sadly no new domain holders just yet.
Maybe a few more.
***
Treehome
The Holy Empire of the Southern Continent
¡°You¡¯ve got quite the place for me to go to.¡± Emperor Erranuel said as Lumoof arrived in his main chambers. The news of Erranuel¡¯s intention to expand to the other worlds made the nobles that had been eying for more power confused.
Erranuel¡¯s holy empire was politically fractured. It always was, even though he tried his best to hold them together.
But there were far too many vested interests, and Erranuel still felt like he had too much to lose by taking action. It was something Lumoof found pitiful. Maybe he didn¡¯t have confidence in the support he had amongst his own nobles. The Holy Empire¡¯s origins were the cause, the Empire in itself is a cobbled nation, forcefully fused together by the acts of the churches in order to resist the merchant guilds and also the Order¡¯s power.
This complicated history merely papered over old faults and grudges among its member states, and so, Erranuel¡¯s role was chiefly as the mediator.
He hated it all. Or maybe he was just tired of it, and desired something new.
So, when Lumoof returned with a destination, we could see it spurred him into action. He nominated one of his trusted senior dukes as Regent, and then quickly rounded up a group of nobles, both loyalists and traitors, for the mission.
¡°Shasan is one of the worlds that didn¡¯t quite fit our needs, but it is a fractured world with desert and part oasis type of terrain that you should be fairly familiar with.¡± Lumoof said.
¡°It¡¯s one of your leftovers.¡± Erranuel countered flatly, there were a few nobles seated around the Emperor.
¡°You could put it that way.¡± Lumoof continued without stopping. ¡°But it is a world that doesn¡¯t have a unified nation, and each of it¡¯s nations are fractured. They also follow Hawa, even if only at a limited level. With the right motivations and resources, I think you could do a great deal.¡±
¡°Hah.¡± Erranuel chuckled. ¡°Since you put it that way, then I must live up to my reputation. But first-¡±
Erranuel glanced at Lumoof and back at his own people.
¡°First, will you lead me to Hawa? My people wish to meet their god. I too, have many questions.¡±
¡°If you accept, we¡¯ll drop by one of Hawa¡¯s core world of Satrya. Whether Hawa graces you with his presence is between you and him.¡± Lumoof nodded. ¡°Your men and priests can come with you, though the very presence of your god would likely be overwhelming for most of them.¡±
Erranuel shook his head. ¡°I believe my men¡¯s faith is stronger than that, but I¡¯ll take the challenge. Maybe, it is just what they needed.¡±
¡°Well, then get ready, we¡¯ll arrange for all of you to be sent to one of the weaker, chaotic towns after that on Shasan.¡±
The Emperor would not be starting from scratch, because he would make the journey with a decent sized selection of soldiers and leaders. Maybe he was getting bored, and so the prospect of building a new nation thoroughly excited him.
I wanted to see what others could do, on other worlds.
307. Alkas Delvegardian Journey
Alka and the Delvegardian Yards
The dwarven kingdom of Ruthfyord was one of the powerhouses of Delvegard, and they were also the home of the legendary Delvegardian Yards, commonly referred to as the Yards.
Next to the Yards was the official capital of Ruthfyord, Kingsholds. To the locals, it is where the Dwarven King reigned, and the political, trade and administrative capital. But not military and magic, because the capital of that is the Yards.
At this point, Alka had seen so many capitals and cities that it didn¡¯t impress him much. He glanced at the map provided by the spies, and then, double checked his documents. It is incredibly easy to get the right dwarven merchants to provide a recommendation letter, when the right amount of money exchanged hands. Dwarves were not incorruptible, though their price tags were often a wee bit higher than humans generally who would often sell out their friends and allies for less.
Alka¡¯s appearance was one of a much, much more youthful version of himself. A change in their appearance didn¡¯t take all that much of his strength, but worked wonders for espionage.
He would infiltrate the Yards as a craftsman. According to records and information gleaned by the spies, it would take about five to six years to rise through the ranks of the Yards, though, given his exceptional abilities, it¡¯s likely to be shorter.
Alka¡¯s goal for the next few years was simple. Weave himself into the Yards structure, get access or identify a range of classified documents and information, identify and recruit potentially talented craftsmen for the Order and if possible, usurp the Yards from within.
He wouldn¡¯t be alone. The Order¡¯s spies assigned a few other dwarves who would join over the few years at various levels, through different channels. There were also agents that would enter the other famous yards and workshops. Together, they¡¯d form a hidden network of agents that would then work to redirect the Yard¡¯s leadership.
One of the challenges and learning points from the Magisarian rebellion, in Alka¡¯s point of view, was the lack of discretion.
The Order was too public, and moved a little too quickly.
On one hand, Alka understood why. They had no choice. The world wasn¡¯t a stable place, and Lausanne¡¯s goals were to save lives. For Delvegard, which is currently stable, their involvement could be more discreet, and they could keep themselves hidden for longer. An advantage he intended to maximize.
The guard glanced at Alka, back at his paper, and bowed respectfully. ¡°Welcome, Craftsman Alka.¡±
Craftsman. A title given to promising blacksmiths and crafters who were then given a chance to join the famed Delvegardian Yards as a working apprentice. The passing mark was Level 30 as a craftsman, where they could be trained by the level 60 to 80 craftsmen of the Yards.
The Yard itself had two main paths. The first path was the Craftsmen, which referred to those that would work with metals and build the war machines. The second path was the magic path, where alchemists, enchanters and mages, who would create runic formations, inscriptions, enchantments, all the other magical liquids and components that went into the war machines.
Alka was first and foremost an alchemist, but as the Yards generally treated its craftsmen better, he decided it was better to infiltrate the Yards as a craftsman. It would make it easier for him to get close to those who had talent, and sway them towards the Order.
The two sides worked, studied and lived together to build the war machine, though they were separated in some of the classes and learning sessions.
It was a fairly elite set up that worked well for the Dwarven Kingdom of Ruthfyord. Over centuries they accumulated military strength, and so they solidified their position as the best weapons and war machine academy in the world of Delvegard. The only such academy that could even challenge them, the nation of Airan¡¯s Delvegard Workshops, was on the other side of the world.
He glanced at his documents again. His assigned room was somewhere on one of the corner buildings. The Delvegardian Yards was arranged into long rows of buildings, with wide open spaces in between the buildings. The buildings themselves were each individually self sufficient, it had its own residential section, its own set of workshop areas, its own canteens and its own study areas.
The wide open spaces were meant to facilitate movement of the war machines produced from the gigantic workshops. Even from afar, the first thing he noticed on each of the buildings were their giant hangar doors.
It was quite impressive that these dwarves got to the point of developing their own walkers to counter the old demons. The information Sundus¡¯s spies gathered from the nearby towns and cities were fairly thorough, but it was quite hard for the spies to get hold of good quality historical documents. There were some basic documents and books, but history for most part only documented the great battles and victories of each nation. Only the King and perhaps its closed advisors had access to the true history of the world, and the Yards reputedly had one of the best archives and records of documents from earlier days.
Again, Alka understood. History is written by its victors, and so, the less the populace knew about the truth, the easier it was to shape the mindset of its people.
Alka looked at the open spaces between each of the blocks, and along some of those empty fields, smaller war machines battling it out. Their means of battle were mainly physical attacks, where the war machines attacked each other using their legs and arms. Magical weapons and energy weapons would only be activated when battles were fought in the special areas located in a different block.
Alka looked around and saw about twenty other new craftsmen walk through the door. They all stared and looked around equally bewildered and happy. One of the new dwarven students walked a few steps, and suddenly got down and kissed the stone floor.
He could hear the dwarf student making a prayer to Eras for guiding him here. The others just groaned. ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t embarrass our year.¡±
It made him think of Freshka Treetiary College. There were similar reactions in young recruits when they visited the FTC for the first time.
There were supposed to be about thirty new craftsmen this year, and they would be split to each of the five main blocks. Each of the blocks were rivals, so most of these would be his rivals. Alka chuckled, and checked his document again.
The five blocks were named after the five past kings of Ruthfyord. Ruthen, Arden, Melden, Furden and Carden. Alka didn¡¯t know why Stella chuckled when she heard the names, but it was probably one of those Earth things Alka didn¡¯t get. Maybe it was the rhyming names.
¡°Block Arden.¡± Alright. Alka nodded, got himself settled into a fairly cozy room, and quickly met his supposed ¡®batchmates¡¯. In the first two weeks, he generally kept a low profile, and focused on understanding how the entire system worked. Using tools from the Order, he installed additional surveillance tools to keep tabs on the inner workings of the institution.
One of the first things he deployed were tiny surveillance golems, made by the golem masters of Treehome. They would spread out and plant themselves throughout different parts of the Delvegardian Yards, and report the interactions back to him.
¡°Everything alright?¡± Alka heard Aeon check in through the familiar.
¡°Yeah. All settled in.¡± Alka responded. He didn¡¯t have to do this, but the situation on the peripheral worlds was stable, and Alka wanted to do something different, just to satisfy his curiosity.
Maybe it was one of those things that he wanted to do, since his temporary death.
Alka remembered a feeling of floating about, and when he reemerged from Aeon¡¯s pod, he felt like he was born again.
He felt he missed out. So now, he sought out these experiences. To do something different. Going to an academy and taking over it seemed like a fun thing to do.
***
A month later
¡°Alka! Come, join us! We are meeting some seniors and the head of the Arden block!¡± One of Alka¡¯s fellow blockmates slammed on his bedroom door. Alka groaned as he climbed out of bed.
The bed wasn¡¯t comfortable, so he had it secretly replaced. A shadow emerged right next to his bed and Alka¡¯s sleepy eyes opened to stare at an absolute lookalike of himself. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ally, I¡¯ll go for this one.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± Ally answered, in the form of Alka¡¯s lookalike. A body created to look like him vanished into the shadows, and the domain holder walked to the door.
¡°Okay!¡± Alka smiled. Acting wasn¡¯t his strongest suit, but it was fairly easy to get used to an environment where there¡¯s a lot of work to be done.
As new recruits of the Yards, they began by making supplementary equipment for the various war machines. These were things like weapon mounts, replacement claws and arms, replacement shields, or just gears and parts for all the various components of the Delvegardian war machines.
War machines came in tiers, the largest were the King Spiders, and those were the biggest at about the size of a large building and were about the size of the demon walkers. Below that were the Prince Spiders, which were about the size of a larger room. Then, there were the Lord-Spiders, which were generally the size of a bed. The definition, per the Yards¡¯ rules, were governed by the size of their workshop doors.
War machines were similar to golems and warships in many ways. Just like warships, they came with inbuilt abilities bestowed by their creators, which could then be amplified by the abilities of their pilots or controllers. Mages and enchanters could inscribe runic formations and patterns to give war machines even more power.
Sunsteel was thus the perfect material for these war machines. Strong, light and magically compatible, though they needed to be forged with Ice Crystals, a process then known as cold forging. Stella remarked it sounded quite like the mythical mythril, though we didn¡¯t know whether it was even similar.
The yards wanted Craftsmen to be trained to a high level, since stronger craftsmen gave their war machines stronger skills, which was then amplified by the enchantments that went into the war machines, and also the pilot¡¯s own skills. It was for this reason that these large things are so dangerous. Each of them represented the skills and powers of multiple people that coalesced into a single tool for destruction, though the Sunsteel was a big part of why they took this direction.
On Treehome, Aeon¡¯s crafters and golem builders constructed golems and other such structures to fairly good results, but ultimately, the materials had limitations on how much innate strength they had, and how much magic power can be worked into them. This meant there was a cap on how much stronger Treehome¡¯s machines got, even if their crafters were better. On Treehome, it was warships with their large sizes, multiple skilled crews, that went crazy with their outfits and equipment.
¡°Everything alright, Craftsman Alka?¡± A supervising crafter, around level 60 or so walked past Alka, and noticed him staring blankly. He then quickly took a peek at Alka¡¯s work, and answered before Alka could respond. ¡°Everything looks good. Amazing, even. Keep up the good work.¡±
Alka nodded. In the Yards, the craftsmen worked with and trained with other budding dwarven alchemists and enchanters, who were also students going through their own set of challenges.
On top of that, they spent quite a bit of time testing out designs, and to a limited degree, work on the Sunsteel and Sunmetal components, mainly as assistants to more senior craftsmen. As the construction of the giant King Spiders took almost a full year, the chief engineer¡¯s plans were plastered right at the top, and then components of it were then distributed to each of the different groups.
It was familiar. The golem factories and golem magic schools that emerged in the past few decades on Treehome had a similar vibe. Those institutions had a hard time recently due to the crystal shortages, but the golems have been a fairly reliable workforce that supported industrial work.
Alka stood, and watched the group of eager fellow craftsmen trying to learn from the more senior dwarven craftsmen. Dwarves by their nature were more direct, and so, he was fairly pleased to find some of the more insidious forms of politicking were not common in the Delvegardian Yards.
There really was a fairly genuine desire to learn and be actual better craftsmen. But rivalries were common, and that manifested in duels. It was apparently such a common thing that the heroes laughed when he reported it.
¡°So, Alka, I heard you¡¯re the best one in your batch.¡± The senior then walked over to Alka and taunted him. Alka merely shrugged. Another challenge.
¡°Yes. What of it?¡± Humility wasn¡¯t a strong suit for dwarves, either. Alka didn¡¯t get to where he was without being proud of what he¡¯s done. If he¡¯s good, he¡¯s good.
¡°Oh. Confident! You think you can make a better war machine than me?¡±
Alka looked at the senior. He was supposedly in his 3rd year, and due to the adversarial, competitive nature of the Delvegardian Yards, the craftsmen and builders would gain levels from challenging each other. ¡°Is that a challenge, senior?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± The senior grinned. His batch smiled, eager to watch another fight.
¡°Oh, our Alka¡¯s actually challenging the senior!¡±
Alka nodded. What kind of domain holder would he be if he couldn¡¯t even face a challenge even if he¡¯s here with different intentions. ¡°So, what should we do?¡±
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¡°Let¡¯s do it the old fashioned way.¡± The senior smiled. ¡°Two-on-two, Lord-class war machines fight till the other gives up or the war machine¡¯s core is destroyed.¡±
Alka shrugged. ¡°Two-on-two? Sure.¡±
¡°You may pick one of your friends to help.¡±
Alka laughed. ¡°That will not be necessary.¡±
¡°You may be skilled, but don¡¯t be too cocky.¡± The senior countered.
***
War machines. The people of Delvegard were beholden to certain ways of battle. Big towering machines, big frightening weapons and powerful beam weapons.
It was due to the types of the battles they frequently fought, and the power levels of the large war machines. Or maybe it was the sense of security and armor plating the larger war machines had.
But Alka had many advantages as an alchemist of his level. One area where Alka excelled is in the use of alchemical lubricants and greases, and the use of various oils and greases to improve performance was still quite primitive among the Delvegardian engineers.
¡°Such a small machine?¡± The senior taunted Alka. ¡°And only one?¡±
Alka laughed, as he climbed into his small war machine. It was a small, compact war machine with small arms but engineered to attack and move with far greater speed than what most war machines were capable of. ¡°I only need one to win, seniors.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± The senior and his friend¡¯s war machine charged. ¡°Then don¡¯t say we are too rough on you.¡±
Alka grinned, and his war machine moved faster than the other two. The lubrication in the joints meant they moved far faster than his foes. He was able to strike with pinpoint precision. He knew exactly where each of the war machine¡¯s weaknesses were, and was able to destroy their joints with his small but powerful strikes.
The small crowd of other craftsmen watched in awe as Alka somehow systematically disassembled the two larger war machines.
It would not be the last time when Alka was challenged by other craftsmen of the Yard. It was intentional. This would get him the attention of even more talented craftsmen who would love to battle a rising star.
Dwarves respected ability, and just like that, the two seniors couldn¡¯t help but be in awe of Alka, amazed. ¡°Where- where¡¯d you learn how to build war machines like that?¡±
Alka smiled, and placed his bait. ¡°Somewhere far, far away. Would you all like to visit, someday?¡± If they are worth anything, they will be recruited.
Predictably, they nodded. In fact, some of the other craftsmen in Alka¡¯s batch even joined in. ¡°Can we visit too, Alka?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
***
¡°Why do dwarves fight each other?¡± Alka asked during one of the regular beer gatherings in their block. Everyone was fairly happily drunk by then, and Alka made it a point to attend them regularly. So much so that he did feel quite close to these fellow students, and hoped they did well in the future.
¡°Because we¡¯re idiots.¡± One of the seniors answered.
¡°Craftsman Alka, if you¡¯re trying to get us to say something that¡¯ll get us in trouble, don¡¯t.¡± One of his batch countered. Alka laughed.
¡°Seriously.¡± Alka said. ¡°You¡¯ve never thought about it? Craftsmen, alchemists, enchanters. The weapons we build will be used on people just like you. Other workshops build things like this, and the dwarves fight to the death with them. It would be better if conflict could be resolved in more peaceful ways.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± One of the seniors said, as he drank his seventh mug of beer. ¡°But what can we do about it? Those in power are not going to change. So long as there are kings, territories and politics, conflict is inevitable. Those who are strong do not see the problem when they exert their power over others.¡±
¡°What if there is a way out?¡± Alka said. ¡°What if you don¡¯t have to fight each other, but you can use it on the demons?¡±
¡°Demons?¡± The seniors looked at each other. ¡°Wait, the demons are coming in a decade or so? Maybe two?¡±
¡°No. Now. Look outside, and look at the night sky. There are other worlds out there, all with demons. There are people fighting them everywhere.¡±
Those present stared at him like he was half insane. ¡°Craftsman Alka, how many beers did you drink to say this sort of thing?¡±
One of the alchemist-students in the drinking session laughed. ¡°Have you been snorting some kind of dreaming herb, Alka?¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s very real, my fellow friends. I¡¯d love to show them to you someday. The war against the demons rage on in thousands of worlds.¡±
¡°Hah. I¡¯ll chop up my leather belt and make soup with it if it¡¯s real.¡± A senior taunted, yet Alka could tell some of them felt inspired by it.
Alka chuckled. ¡°Oh, my good senior, I¡¯ll take that bet.¡±
¡°When will you show us?¡±
Alka touched his beard. ¡°I promise you then, within the next two years.¡±
¡°You¡¯re on.¡±
He could tell that the rest of his batch were looking at him as if he was insane. But Alka had to plant the seed. Let such thoughts fester in their minds. One day, when he finally open the door and show them what exists beyond Delvegard, it will all make sense.
***
Time passed quickly, and just like that, it¡¯s been nine months since Alka joined the Delvegardian Yards. Throughout this time, he made copies of various schematics. Their different origins meant they had design ideas that were worth looking into at great detail. They were also a significantly older institution, the Delvegardian Yards had a history of over a thousand years, which made them older than Freshka.
Generations of craftsmen and dwarven engineers incrementally improved their workings, and Alka found that it was in small things where Treehome¡¯s craftsmen could learn from. The slightly different ways screws and bolts were made, or how they were all welded together. Treehome generally had a rapid development of magical equipment, but there were minor efficiency differences that the Delvegardian engineers made to their tools, defensive platings and war machines that Treehome could learn from.
Alka, within that nine months, had risen the ranks. Within the Yards, most newbies were craftsmen, but they could be promoted to be senior if they were good enough. Usually, this happened after the 2nd year, because the constant honing and battles amongst the craftsmen and their war machines improved their skills.
The craftsmen and seniors of the Yards were initially skeptical, but they couldn¡¯t match Alka¡¯s capabilities, which were much more sophisticated than them.
This eventually caught the attention of someone higher up in the chain.
Someone knocked on the door. Ally took the door. It was one of the Yard¡¯s senior craftsmen. He spoke to him a few times.
¡°Craftsmen Alka, the Block Master wishes to see you.¡±
Ally nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±
The door closed, and Ally looked at Alka.
¡°Should I go? He¡¯s been spying on us and looking into what you¡¯ve made.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll handle it. Let¡¯s see what the Block Master wants from me.¡± Alka said. ¡°I expected this confrontation for a while. I may need you to shapeshift and be his body double.¡±
Ally nodded, as its body transformed to resemble that of the Block Master. As a parasite spy, it was able to reconfigure the body to match its appearance, and even copy a certain set of abilities. As a Titan of Aeon, Ally¡¯s level 80ish presence meant no one would even doubt it was the block master.
Then, Alka activated his communication ability. ¡°Stella, I might need a portal soon. Got someone I might have to kidnap.¡±
¡°Aye.¡±
***
The Block Master was one of the five middle masters of the Yards, one for each of the Blocks, and they reported to the Forge Master, who was the former King of the kingdom. Each block master is individually powerful relative to the rest of Delvegard, and Alka estimated they were likely close to their level cap, at about Level 80 to 85.
¡°Beer, Craftsman Alka?¡± The Block master offered as Alka walked into his study.
Alka nodded. There was no one here except the two. ¡°I normally don¡¯t drink, but if it is the block master, I will.¡±
The drink was spiked. A rare move from the dwarves that preferred more direct means, but Alka was immune to such weak poisons. Aeon¡¯s familiar purged it instantly.
The Block Master stared at him. ¡°So tell me, Alka, who are you? Your record and innovations is unmatched from anyone in our history, and you clearly have knowledge of something that¡¯s not from the Yards¡¯ repository of knowledge.¡±
Alka smiled at the Block Master. ¡°You clearly have some idea already, block master. Why not tell me what¡¯s your theory, and I¡¯ll tell you whether it¡¯s right.¡±
The Block Master stared at Alka. ¡°That¡¯s not a way to talk to someone that is your Block Master.¡±
¡°Maybe. But I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts.¡± Alka countered.
The block master stared at Alka, and Alka didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Fine. My first suspicion is that you are an agent of the Airan Workshops trying to destabilize us. But I¡¯ve looked at your war machines and realized they don¡¯t match anything the Airan Workshops are capable of. So, if you are not from the Airan Workshops, then the only other entity able to train a genius of your level would be the highly secretive Shadow Hangars.¡±
Shadow Hangars. That was something Alka wasn¡¯t aware of. It was clearly intel that Sundus was unable to obtain, because it only lingered in the very small circle of senior members of the Yards, and not frequently discussed. ¡°Oh? And what is it about the Shadow Hangars?¡±
The Block Master stared. ¡°We destroyed the Hangars thirty years ago. Are you here for vengeance? Infiltration is the sort of tactics these foul corrupted dwarves believe in.¡±
Alka smiled, a little amused how wrong he was. ¡°Really? And you think I¡¯d be here for something like vengeance?¡±
¡°Why else did you come and humiliate the rest of our craftsmen like this? Is this how the Hangars want to exert superiority? Are you here to recruit the students?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m not.¡± Alka countered. ¡°However, I am here to recruit your students.¡±
The Block master stared. ¡°-what-¡±
¡°In fact, Block Master, I think you¡¯re a fairly talented craftsman too. Would you like a tour of what we have to offer?¡±
The Block Master was horrified. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Is that a no?¡±
The Block Master and Alka exchanged glances, as if he was trying to gauge Alka¡¯s statement.
¡°Would you like to see where I learned how to do what I do? I¡¯ll take you on a trip, it wouldn¡¯t even take long.¡±
¡°Are you serious?¡± The Block Master seemed fairly surprised, but decided to play along. ¡°Then, yes. Show me where you learned how to do what you did.¡± The Block Master said, probably thinking Alka was just going to reveal his secret. Alka somehow blinked right next to the Block Master.
¡°Good. Let¡¯s go on a little trip.¡± The two vanished through a void portal.
***
Alka and the block master arrived in Treehome, inside one of the many industrial buildings within the wider Freshkan area, and the block master stared. ¡°What- what did you do?¡±
¡°What do you think about the state of Delvegard, and how the dwarven nations constantly fight each other?¡± Alka ignored his question.
The Block Master looked around, and noticed the far more busy city around him. ¡°-what- where am I?¡±
¡°Another world, Block Master. The air feels different here, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°It does.¡± The Block Master kept looking around, and was trying his hardest to stop it. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±
¡°To where my people create weapons used to fight against our real foes. So I ask again, Block master, what do you think about the state of Delvegard? Do you think your beautiful weapons are wasted on slaughtering the lives of your fellow dwarves in your brutal battles?¡±
¡°It- it is what we have to do. The Lords and Kings do not want to bow to others. Our kings, they are proud dwarves.¡±
¡°Pride. It¡¯s led to such a waste of life.¡± Alka sighed, and the door swung open to reveal a vast industrial factory where crystal weapons were made by the thousands. The block master stared in disbelief. ¡°I have a proposition to make to the dwarves of Delvegard, Block Master. The war between dwarves is unnecessary. Useless. Wasteful. Instead, I ask the dwarves, talented ones like yourself, to devote your efforts against the real enemies of the wider world.¡±
The Block Master looked at the crystal weapons. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°Demons, Block master. Delvegard has been a lucky world, a world where the demons only come once a century. But the other worlds are not so lucky. This world once faced demons every decade.¡±
The block master blinked, unable to fathom it. He was a relatively old dwarf, at about 160 to 180 years old, and he saw the demons once when they arrived about 80 to 90 years ago. It was a horrible time, but the dwarves banded together and with the help of the Dwarven Hero, pushed the demons back. The thought of such monstrosities invading the world once a decade was hard.
¡°Imagine for a moment, what we could achieve if Delvegardian war machines were paired with the magical equipment of my world?¡±
The Block Master watched for a moment, even at this distance he knew enough to get a rough sense of the sort of equipment that was being made. ¡°You really are recruiting me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Alka said. ¡°I will recruit everyone I can, Block master, and I want you to help me.¡±
¡°Why do you think we would join you?¡±
¡°Because now you use your weapons on your fellow dwarves while I offer to use your weapons on demons. Because now you are capped behind your levels, stuck at level 85 to 90 unable to reach beyond, while we have our ways of reaching in the steps of divinity. Because now, your people¡¯s purpose is no more than to satisfy the whims of your kings, while we offer the chance to serve a power and purpose that would save many from these demons, and also elevate many more to join us.¡±
The block master stared, as Alka led him through the factories and into larger barracks made up of Valthorns preparing for their next deployment on the peripheral worlds.
¡°Look around you, Block Master. These are my compatriots. They will serve in battles against the demons. We have taken the battles beyond our homes and reached into the shores of the demon worlds. The dwarven blood thirsts for war, Block Master. It is why dwarves are only able to unite during the demon king crisis, but after that, the dwarves cannot help but fight each other.¡±
A void portal whirled in front of him, and Alka led the Block master through to the peripheral world of Sarlpi. Here, they witnessed Valthorn warriors hunt down the rest of the fire-elemental demons that still remained on Salrpi.
¡°I offer to take your nation¡¯s warriors and war machines, and I offer them the glory, destruction and war of the demon lands. So, Block master. I am recruiting. Death. Blood. Destruction and Suffering awaits the warriors who join our cause, but my fellow dwarves aspire to more than just beer, politicking, and building war machines to slaughter their fellow dwarves.¡±
It was a long, long silence.
Alka allowed his words to sink in, as they followed the destruction left by the Valthorns. The fire demons were torn from the skies.
The Block Master looked around the chaos of Sarlpi, and saw people he had never known existed.
¡°They will not thank you.¡± Alka said. ¡°But if your men itch for war, if your men are eager to show the glory of your war machines, I ask that they show them against the demons. There are hundreds, thousands of demon worlds out there to satiate your lust for war.¡±
¡°Take me to one. Show me.¡± The Block Master was clearly shaken, his hands trembled. His heart pounded furiously.
Alka nodded, as another portal whirled open. They landed in front of a rift gate. A void mage nearby nodded. ¡°Opening portal to the demon world connected to Landas-¡±
The rift gate activated, and they were both sent to a demon world. Untouched. Landas was freed of its demon king, but the Valthorn had robbed it of its rift gates and locked it to its void coordinates.
The demons were everywhere. Yet, Alka draped a cloak over the block master. It immediately hid him from detection.
The domain holder led the block master through the still mostly unexplored demon world. Towering demon hatcheries were everywhere, and the stench of demonic energies was still thick. The Block master could feel it, and looked uncomfortable.
After a few hours, they stopped.
¡°Bring me back. I¡¯ve seen enough. Send me back to the Yards.¡±
And they did.
The Block master was back in his own office. The first thing he did was walk to his big, comfortable chair, and sat on it. He poured himself a beer, and downed the entire mug in a single gulp.
As the beer¡¯s effects kicked in, the Block Master looked around his room. Medals from the King were pinned there. As were certain paintings of the glories of their war machines.
After a long while, he turned to face Alka.
¡°You really want to recruit me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You do realize this is treachery and betrayal of the King, and the Forge Master of the Yards.¡±
Alka laughed. ¡°Yes. If they don¡¯t join us too, that is.¡±
But the face of the Block Master was one of acceptance. Maybe it was bloodlust. Maybe it was a desire to escape from mundane politicking and back into the fires of war. ¡°The hell with all of this. Yes. Yes I will. Who else do you need?¡±
Alka smiled. ¡°Everyone.¡±
308. Dealings I
Year 279
Landas
The Valthorns recruited a sizable group of soldiers and warriors from Landas, many of them from the ranks of survivors during the earlier harsher periods and went on to be fairly high leveled soldiers and defenders of the elven cities were eager to take their skills to other places. Many of these have known a lifetime of fighting and so the sudden end of wars meant they were feeling out of place in a world where there was going to be peace.
Thus they joined the call to serve and fight on other worlds.
Not all, though. There was also those that were more than happy to see the end of the fighting. Strong warriors who finally relished the chance to return to normalcy, and to do what they always wanted to do. Many finally settled down and restarted what they¡¯ve long delayed. Family. Their old family workshops. Rebuilding cities and pursuing tasks their parents or grandparents abandoned when things got bad.
Now, Landas is doing well. The demon king has been slain, and the world began to turn a corner. Things were coming around.
The old cherry tree that once guarded Samuel regained its old strength, and since it didn¡¯t have to store energy to deal with the demons, Cherry redirected their powers towards the rebuilding effort. The old cherry tree had a wide range of forestry related powers, and so used it extensively to rebuild.
Despite these positives, I still expect a few decades before Landas regains some level of normalcy. The world¡¯s population declined far too much.
In terms of population, we estimated it lost 70 to 80% of its population due to the prolonged demon war. But with heavy intervention from the Valthorns, we were helping the repopulation. Children were born, and we ensured they were well supported. The Treeology priests went about blessing many of the surviving youths and even slightly more mature elvish ladies with fertility potions.
It may seem a little heavy handed, but as a society, they needed the population to restore all their heavily battered society. The social wing of the Order came in to support many young families with caring for young children.
Most of their material needs were catered for, with the presence of the Order¡¯s craftsmen and workers that set up new factories and workshops, and helped retrain the Landasian elves in crafts, to revive Landas¡¯s lost industrial capacity.
In two to three decades from now, Landas¡¯s babies of today will be the warriors of the future, and these growing workshops would grow into larger establishments that would help support the war of the future.
It will be a long process, but the first few steps have already taken place.
***
The first batch of Landas-origin soldiers, such as Novorosk, were given accelerated Valtrian Order training, though we had to supplement their knowledge with a good helping of teachers and tutors from Treehome.
Their combat capabilities and instincts were quite good, due to years of battle experience under defensive conditions. That said, we also felt the need to widen their skillset to cover some of the other things they would encounter in the demon worlds. Rescuing survivors, constructing makeshift structures, knowledge of the various demon types and monster types, and combat tactics.
Most of them were defenders, their focus was always in protecting their home cities. Large scale offensive tactics was an area they needed work on. From defenders, they would now have to be attackers.
It¡¯s likely that Novorosk and their batch would be demon-world focused operatives, since that was the environment they excelled at. Constant battles, destroying demons and surviving with little on the fields came naturally to them. In fact, we generally observed that these survivors were able to tolerate the stresses of long term battle quite well.
I figured it was some kind of survivorship bias at play. Those that couldn¡¯t died. What¡¯s left were battle hardened veterans.
That said, unlike our homeworlds, it wasn¡¯t entirely in the mind.
There were [skills] that helped, and from these battle hardened veterans we were able to collect a few skill fragments that I happily replicated with my skill-fruit growing trees. These yielded fruits that contained skills such as [battle hardened], and [survivor¡¯s heart]. Those who consumed fruits with these skills tolerated stress better, and made better warriors out in the battlefield. Many of my Valthorns didn¡¯t need these skills, because they acquired it later on in their higher levels.
I¡¯ve always wanted a similar skill for mages. If there was something like a [mage¡¯s instinct], I would¡¯ve pounced and tried to replicate it by the thousands, but sadly, most of a mage¡¯s set of skills were things like [magical memory], or [large mana pool], though we did notice more specific type of abilities like [void sensitivity], or [elemental instinct].
My hopes for the Magisarians were something that could help improve our magical training process. My hope was that the Magisarians had some kind of unique [skill] I could replicate, and then turn them into skill fruits.
As it is, we produced thousands of these skill fruits each year, and we distributed these across all our academies, training schools and institutions. Some were given out to students as rewards, some for my Valtrian Order recruits to round up their own set of skills.
My domain holders often claimed that the skill fruits saved each and every one of them hundreds of days of work, because they could shore up their weak points with a skill fruit, and is partly why the Valtrian Order and Valthorns are so feared.
Very few institutions could claim to produce strong soldiers with such consistency, though the ability to grant skill isn¡¯t unique. [Priests] and [trainers] could actually grant [skills], through some of their own skills. Even [teachers] were able to grant skills, but in most cases, these [skills] were often in the basic-intermediate level, and there was some element of randomness in how they worked. A teacher teaching [mana manipulation] may have students acquiring weaker variants like [mana shaping] or [basic mana flow].
For the Landas warriors, we also realized that most of them acquired a range of survival skills over their decades, and in some ways, that made them suboptimal for independent operation. This was because my Valtrian Order folks trained with the presence of my [familiars], and so they often rejected the acquisitions of survival skills since that could be outsourced to the familiars, in order to better focus on combat abilities.
My familiars came with a range of food generation, healing, and supplementary abilities.
I believed this problem to be transitional, a consequence of recruiting experienced soldiers from a war torn Landas. Future Landas soldiers that went through our usual regime would not have these drawbacks.
Whatever it is, talent is hard to find. We¡¯ll take it, and we would just have to find ways to best exploit their strengths.
***
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Shasan
The domain holders and the heroes gathered for another round of demonic attack. Alka decided to sit this round out, as he was busy infiltrating the Delvegardian Yards.
¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be going to a sand world.¡± Khefri was fairly excited when she landed. Her biology found the dry sand to be most comfortable, and unlike the rest of them, sand didn¡¯t get stuck in her joints. There was just something about the hot sand, a burning sun overhead, and white-orange sands as far as she could see that appealed to her.
¡°I think you¡¯re partly brainwashed by your body.¡± Colette countered.
¡°I know.¡± Khefri shrugged, and rubbed her head slightly. Despite a different biology, she wasn¡¯t spared from headaches. ¡°But it is what it is. The body likes this kind of environment, and so I like it.¡±
Colette said nothing, and looked at Prabu. Prabu was decked out in gear. A little overkill, but at this point, they¡¯d rather not take many risks.
Rajah and Wira, the two dragonling heroes, felt their wings warm up from the heat of the sun. They didn¡¯t like it the dry heat or the harsh sun all that much. Gigantadragon was still far more comfortable to them than any of the other worlds so far, with the only exception being the magimodern facilities of Treehome and Branchhold.
Samuel shared their struggles. The elven hero didn¡¯t like the heat or the sun.
The domain holders and heroes chatted, as they prepared for the start of the operation.
Edna clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, alright, Shasan should be a fairly simple mop up operation. Shasan¡¯s a fairly strong world, with strong natural defenses. We don¡¯t really expect much opposition other than the demon king. As usual, Lumoof will fish out the demon king, and we¡¯ll engage it on the surface. Hit it with all we can, and then we¡¯ll only be left with Twinspace. Clear?¡±
Everyone nodded. There were about thirty level 140s Valthorns present as well, and they were the ones that were most visibly nervous.
Lumoof smiled. ¡°Alright. Come come come. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Relax, it¡¯ll be fine. Check your protective equipment?¡±
Samuel still looked a little lost. ¡°Is- is that it?¡±
Adrian, the hero of Mountainworld, tapped Samuel, the hero of Landas, on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Took me about five or six demon kings before I was able to get over how casual this whole thing feels.¡±
Samuel paused, and after a while, he sighed. Both of them knew each other faced their own trauma from the past. Adrian spent quite some time under the corruption of the demons, and Samuel nursed a demonic curse. The idea of facing the demon king still occasionally pulled out that trauma, and the whole thing being just a regular trip to the doctors was hard to reconcile.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head in first.¡± Lumoof looked at the flooded pit that led to the core, and dived right in. The demon king was a kind of boney, half-shark, half-demonic creature that was still digging at the rocks. Lumoof, unaffected by the water, easily interrupted it¡¯s constant digging, and engaged it in battle.
Somehow, water numbed the demon king¡¯s senses, because it was only then it reacted to our presence.
That was a surprise to us.
Lumoof got a good, powerful root strike through its body. Not enough to kill it, but enough for me to get a rough sense of its strength.
It wasn¡¯t going to be a problem.
The shark-demon king soared out of the flooded pit, again, it¡¯s senses seemed dull. The moment it exited the flooded pit, it was battered with a range of attacks.
The demon king, weakened by the blast, shapeshifted, and then summoned more demons. But those extra small fries died like flies. The heroes and domain holders launched more attacks.
It was no match. The demon king of Shasan died. The heroes gained some levels, the domain holders gained none, and some of the Valthorn level 140s gained a level or two. Not enough to push them to a domain.
But now, there was only one demon king left. The demon king on Twinspace.
We wanted to make it a spectacle.
So, I redirected my attention elsewhere. I wanted to visit Hawa again.
***
Satrya
Lumoof went through the portal first, and landed in a large receiving hall filled with people. Hawa¡¯s priests and an entourage fit for a king.
¡°Greetings. Patriarch Lumoof.¡± Olivia of Olpash stood there, waiting. She still asked about Roon occasionally, but this time, she was in her priestess mode, and spoke with all the gentleness and grace of a high priestess. ¡°Are the rest of the entourage coming?¡±
Lumoof nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll be here in a second.¡±
Emperor Erranuel and the rest of the Emperor¡¯s escorts warped in. They appeared around Lumoof through my teleportation ability. Erranuel brought about a hundred people to Satrya, and this same party would then be deployed to Shasan to launch Erranuel¡¯s new world program.
But the fact that Lumoof landed here so specifically seemed to trigger some alarm bells. Hawa seemed able to guide how and where Stella¡¯s portals opened, and ensured that a large, luxurious welcoming party was present.
Stella was fairly surprised that a god could do that, but this was Hawa¡¯s core world, guiding portals and specifying specific landing zones should be well within its range of abilities. However, it did highlight that this was a very clear vulnerability. Stella could teleport us right into a trap, especially if a god was hostile to us.
Essentially, we could be on the receiving end on a spawn-camp attack. That was an uncomfortable thought to entertain.
Lumoof grinned at the sight of the two high priests of Hawa. ¡°Well, nice to see you again, priestess Olivia and Priest Michael.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to welcome you and your party, Patriarch Lumoof. It is especially blessed for us to finally meet those who are faithful to the teachings of Hawa from other worlds. Our God Hawa¡¯s blessings and wisdom reaches even to the furthest of worlds, and from one Hawa¡¯s servant to another, we sincerely welcome you.¡± Olivia spoke, and Lumoof grinned at her heartfelt praise of her god. Her words were genuine.
Though her words were sweet, it was somehow lost on the Emperor.
¡°So this is what it feels like where Hawa¡¯s presence is strong.¡± Emperor Erranuel¡¯s heart pounded. Lumoof could sense the trembling in his fingers, and we speculated that his class, the [Holy Emperor], was instinctively linked to Hawa. Therefore, it was possible that here, in this world, that class was stronger than even on Treehome. The Emperor looked around for a few seconds, took a few deep breaths, and then finally, turned to face the hosts. ¡°My apologies to the very generous and hospitable priests and priestess. I am just suddenly overwhelmed by the presence of our god Hawa that I cannot but take a few moments to take it in. Patriarch Lumoof promised me a visit to a world where Hawa¡¯s reach was still strong, and it is truly a unique feeling.¡±
The priestess could sense it too. A sense of comradeship in those that share the faith. ¡°Yes, your majesty. Satrya did not face the need to create a [holy emperor], but I do agree it is most interesting for us as well to meet those who triumphed against great odds. It is the foul demons that cause Hawa¡¯s influence to be weak on your world, but your people persevered.¡±
Erranuel nodded, and then turned to face Lumoof. ¡°Patriarch Lumoof, thank you for sending us here. I¡¯ll be able to handle it from here. What happens next, I believe, mainly concerns discussions about our faith, and so, it would most likely be uninteresting to you. So, thank you, I wish not to occupy your time any more.¡±
We expected that Erranuel would want to have some private words with the other Hawa-believers, so this went as planned.
Lumoof nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. I¡¯ll return in approximately three months.¡±
¡°Three months is plenty of time, Patriarch Lumoof. We will be ready when the time comes.¡±
Erranuel was a man with his own plans, and I didn¡¯t mind it.
The world was large, and right now, there was enough for everyone. Even if he turned against me, it was fairly easy to cordon off certain worlds. We planned on sending Erranuel to Shasan because it wasn¡¯t a world where we had much interest in.
They could have it on a silver platter if they so desired.
I expect that as we discover more worlds, my resources and manpower would not be able to keep up to maintain a decent level of control, and so, rather than let certain worlds suffer because I lacked the resources to deal with them, I was willing to pass some of these worlds to other forces. From my point of view, I didn¡¯t want to let these other worlds suffer from the demons just because I couldn¡¯t help them and refuse to share the portals with others.
People like Erranuel were relatively low risk, since they lacked the means to travel through worlds. In time, maybe Lillies, or Aria and Aispeng, or the White Statue could be roped in to take control of certain worlds, though given the White Statue¡¯s strength, it was a matter of time before he achieved travel between the worlds.
But now we stand at a position of growing strength, and we no longer need extensive paranoia. We have the weapons and strength to punish all those who break our trust.
309. Dealings II
Year 297 Part 2
Treehome
Treehome. Our home base, and the long peace led to a decent growth in terms of population. Our measures to soften the blow of parenthood and supplying the central continent¡¯s families with a high level of support meant we continued to see good growth in terms of population, and so, our recruiting pipeline is healthy.
Freshka, the capital and heart of the Valtrian Order, buzzed with energy. Politically, the mood in the population was fairly upbeat. Progress was made on many fronts, and the world entered an unusual era of peace.
It was this peace that partly enabled Emperor Erranuel¡¯s expansion plan to the world of Shasan. It was going to be largely a one way trip for the first five years, and we intended to deploy a few Valtrian Order agents just to accompany them, and void mages would drop in once a year to help them move people or resources, as needed.
The news of the Emperor Erranuel¡¯s travels to the other worlds was largely kept quiet, mainly because of fear for the merchant guilds and merchant kings¡¯ attack. However, no one was really in the mood for attack. The Valtrian Order¡¯s consumption of crystals has reduced gradually, but the world¡¯s smaller forces are still not ready and have not rebuilt their stockpiles of war.
The consequences of the past war, and the fear of my punishment for now continued to deter the prospect of wider war.
Instead, the guilds came to us with a proposition. They too would like to expand to the wider worlds. I immediately thought about Raph and the White Statue, and the risks.
I was willing to let them try expanding, though a part of me felt a little disturbed at allowing corporate forces to have a stake in expanding into other worlds.
Right now, we had a monopoly on travel due to our void mages, but it¡¯s likely that my monopoly over my void mages would eventually be broken. It may not happen in ten years, or twenty years, but at some point, it could happen.
Some void mages would eventually agree to join these other folks, or maybe, they figured out how to independently train void mages. Of all people, the White Statue could discover how it¡¯s done on its own. As a domain holder of his level of strength, if he had seen the powers of a void mage, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to start figuring out how to create one.
After all, we learned how to create void mages through heavy exposure to void mana and constantly healing the individual from the effects of the curse. Eventually, they were able to gain the [void mage] class. If the White Statue learned how to do the same, it¡¯s likely they would be able to do it too.
We have a technological head start, and the White Statue would figure out how to create void mages if it tried. That would allow it to expand to other worlds. Similarly, my void mages are not prevented from mingling and talking to other mages and people, so, those of Treehome have some inkling of how a void mage is trained from scratch, even though the process of actually creating a void mage still remains elusive thanks to the various sicknesses and curses in the soul caused by exposure to the void mana.
However, as medical and healing abilities of the general populace catch up, or if any of my level 100 and above healers joined one of these guilds, they would have the ingredients needed to experiment on void magic.
What would they do with it?
Was this power something we should release to the world? What if the power to travel to other worlds that only destroy others?
But we are not the fairest judge of that. We¡¯ve used our power to reach the other worlds, we¡¯ve saved lives, but in the long run, we also harvest their societies for their brightest children to fight this war. We should intervene if they used it to harm more than good, or when our trust is broken.
The ability to travel worlds in itself is not a bad thing, even if it may lead to bad consequences. I also didn¡¯t see myself as intentionally policing their behavior. It felt like this was one of my usual dilemmas again. Do I allow people to do bad things with neutral powers? It¡¯s like preventing people from flying because some people could just use flight to fight wars.
Worlds that had this power would have an advantage over worlds that didn¡¯t. Just because they gained access to void magic doesn¡¯t make them more powerful over those that didn¡¯t. If the defending worlds were like Khubor where there are existences like the Osroids, it may not be that clear cut.
Thinking that way, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to actually release knowledge of void magic to the wider world. Yes. It¡¯s potentially dangerous. But right now, only the old gods and the demons have figured out how to travel between worlds, and both have left quite a fair bit of the multiverse in a terrible state.
But, Stella was quite against it.
¡°No. I cannot allow that. Yes, maybe some people can be saved. But as far as I can see, void magic is as good as a nuclear weapon. The longer they stay away from it, the more we can save people. We should be the ones saving them, because I won¡¯t trust anyone else with this power. I currently cannot imagine how any other institution can handle this power carefully, not with where these other people are now.¡±
¡°Not even Raph or the White Statue?¡± I countered.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Are you being biased?¡±
From a net gain to the world, linking the others worlds should lead to net savings of life. It means demon-attacked worlds have an exit path. That in itself should save many lives.
¡°Have you not seen the people? Everyone¡¯s a warmonger. People will be killed, and I cannot trust any of them to treat those beneath them with more care than the Order. Not yet. Maybe someday there will be a truly good society that is worthy of this, but right now, no. The angels and the White Statue have potential, but I want to see how they behave, without our threat before I¡¯d even trust them.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not something you can hide forever.¡± I countered. Void magic can be learned.
¡°I know, but I will stop it as long as I can. I want to be able to pull the plug on this experiment if they misbehave. As the void domainholder, let me have this right.¡±
¡°Very well.¡±
***
Lumoof landed on the world of Khubor.
We knew that we were the ones that should face it. We walked to the very edges of the Khubor¡¯s land, and wondered whether this was a hostile domain holder. Even at this distance, we could subtly feel it¡¯s presence/
Stolen story; please report.
I hoped that we could come to an agreement, like Lillies. At the border between the land of the living and the land of the dead, there was a trading post. This was where the humans of Khubor traded with the undead. So, we approached the undead, and requested an audience with the Osroids.
We declared we were coming. The undead at the border didn¡¯t respond to us immediately, but eventually, one of the undead actually spoke with magic.
¡°Please wait.¡±
We did.
A wraith appeared about half a day later, it probably flew from really far away. It glanced at Lumoof with its glowing yellow eyes, and nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡±
We followed the wraith on a path that headed for the center of the land of the dead.
The land of the dead was surprisingly productive, filled with mines and quarries, and factories. The undead worked, and they worked with only a little bit of rest.
As we escorted deeper into the land of the dead, we noticed the presence of large black crystalline towers that radiated magical energy.
It was familiar. It reminded me of that dungeon core that spawned undead from my earlier days. Lumoof¡¯s magical senses focused, and we realized these were magical ley lines that were corrupted by the black crystal. These crystals then drew on that energy to create some kind of ¡®undead nourishing aura¡¯.
The undead consumed magical energy in their day to day activities, and the aura replenished the undead¡¯s magical energy. In short, these was what kept dead going.
As we moved deeper into the deathlands, we noticed more of these black crystals, clustered around where the undead worked. We did notice some undead were different from others, there were large, heavily armed black knights that had a series of magical gems within their bodies.
They drew from that undead aura, but likely were able to operate without it.
It was around that time that we began to sense the eyes of a domainholder. It was just a sensation of someone looking back at us, whenever we looked or passed by one of those black crystals. The wraith that escorted us clearly noticed that we noticed, but it said nothing.
I still found them fascinating. They were, in a somewhat twisted way, a post-death society. People whose souls were given a second chance to live again here, even if they were just doing more work. But they do not tire or feel pain, and they are permitted to interact with themselves.
Even from afar we could listen to them talk to each other. Some of the undead talked to each other about their day to day life, or talked about their past. Some missed their families, but some of these undeads were family when they lived.
I wondered whether they gained levels and skills. Or they lose the ability to gain levels.
We traveled for about a day and then we stopped in one of the ¡®cities¡¯ of the dead. A city for the undead, built around one of these black crystal obelisks. This was a city of crafts, where undead and wraiths worked in workshops to build tools and weapons. Things that they used, but also things they traded with the humans.
¡°You will rest here tonight. We will continue our journey tomorrow.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± I could feel the Osroid¡¯s presence in the gigantic black crystal at the heart of the city. We were getting quite good and experienced at sensing the presence of these domain holders. Bitu, White Statue, and now the Osroids all employed tools to maintain control and oversight of their territories.
The city was clearly built to accommodate human visitors. Maybe the heroes, like the hero Gideon. We didn¡¯t need sleep, and it was easy to notice how the undead didn¡¯t need sleep either. The workshops continued to work even at night, though the rarely used inn had really thick walls to drown out the noise.
On the next day, a gigantic bone dragon arrived in this undead city, and the wraith waited next to it. ¡°Visitor, we will now take you to meet the Osroids.¡±
¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± The bone dragon flew quickly, and I rated it¡¯s power somewhere in the high level 80s. A creature able to give even demon champions a run for their money. Amazingly, it wasn¡¯t a reanimated bone construct, but instead, also possessed the soul. Multiple souls that were linked together. The wraith stood next to us, and observed us.
Lumoof grinned.
¡°We should be there quickly with this dragon. Perhaps a day.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± The wraith answered.
We flew over surprisingly fertile fields, mines, workshops, cities, and barren land. In parts of the land of the dead, bones rained. Magic woven into the land itself caused bone-like materials to appear out of nowhere. As we flew closer, I could feel it, the familiar presence of another domain holder.
The Osroids¡¯s home was an easily fortified valley, with a small gap.
The dragon landed at the door to the valley, and the wraith led us along the road. The valley walls on both sides were filled with carvings.
People. Creatures. Artwork made of gray stone, all intricately made from the valley¡¯s natural gray colors. It was a temple, and the whole journey walking through the carvings felt serene, quiet, and even holy.
Maybe it was once a holy place.
There were many small doors that were carved into the valley¡¯s walls, and they all led to underground passageways and rooms.
The wraith eventually stopped at one of the doors, where another undead awaited us. The undead was a heavy knight, it¡¯s bones were larger and magically reinforced to be stronger, covered in enough magical armor and weaponry to be on par with the elite White Guards of the White Statue.
It was the right direction. The presence of the Osroids all over the valley at first, but as we focused, I could triangulate its location.
The knight pointed at the door, and walked it first. We followed.
We walked on a path covered with magical traps and weapons, but somehow, not a single one of them activated. Eventually, after we went through multiple passageways and underground rooms, I saw three creatures, all physically separate yet magically intertwined. I knew they were a single being.
¡°Greetings.¡± I answered on Lumoof¡¯s behalf, and I felt the presence of a being pushed back against us.
The three undead bodies spoke at once, and it felt like I was talking to a magical twin of Lillies. Lillies¡¯ underground roots and had the same sensation. ¡°Greetings. Why have you asked for an audience with us?¡±
It clearly knew we were something. Our aura and presence as a domain holder was clear, and at this distance, I knew the Osroids was a peer of similar strength as the White Statue, though it¡¯s power set was likely less combat focused. Just seeing it and being here answered 90% of the questions we had, but we asked the two main questions on my mind.
¡°We are travelers, expanding through other worlds and are here to help deal with the demon kings. Are you willing to coexist peacefully with us?¡±
The three Osroids answered differently. ¡°No. Maybe. Yes.¡±
Lumoof smiled, and answered sternly. ¡°We would appreciate honesty, Osroids. You three are one, your soul is to one, even if you share three flesh. There is no need to play such tricks on us.¡±
The Osroid at the center paused, and then, the other two merged into it. The three boney bodies fused together into a single larger bone creature, with three faces.
¡°Greetings, my fellow Soul Shaper.¡± It spoke as one.
Lumoof nodded. ¡°Greetings. I¡¯ve come for two real purposes, and one goal. One, to know whether we can coexist with you, and two, to inform you of the fading hero summons. The hero¡¯s summons will end soon.¡±
The Osroids paused. ¡°We are as we always were. If you leave me be, I will leave you be.¡±
¡°Great. That solves the first problem. Two, the demon king is a continuing problem, but the hero summons will be over soon. Are you able to deal with it?¡±
In my mind, I believe the answer is yes.
The Osroids stopped, and it¡¯s undead face transformed into one of displeasure. ¡°Yes. But not without a great sacrifice. Without the heroes, we would have to rely on the powers of shaping the soul into a weapon. We would need many sacrifices from the living to create a weapon strong enough to defeat it.¡±
I had a sense that the Osroids could win without it, but it is unlikely to sacrifice itself to do so. It would prefer to win the easy way.
Lumoof frowned. ¡°I see. What would you do if it landed in the deathlands?¡±
It¡¯s answer was also unappealing. ¡°I would chase it to the lands of the living, until I collected enough sacrifices for the weapon. That would be our plan.¡±
The end of the hero summon would greatly destabilize the current balance and prosperity of Khubor. So, in my mind, I considered offering a deal. We would deal with the demon king in exchange for continued peace and non-interference. We gain the experience, the world stays as it is.
¡°When will the heroes¡¯ summons end?¡± It asked.
¡°Soon. I am not certain. We were asked by Hawa to deliver the message.¡± I was fairly certain it¡¯ll end the moment we inform Hawa. But I could hold it off, but that would delay my access into the inner demon worlds. Play off the time difference and Hawa¡¯s limited information.
There was silence, but I felt the buzz of the Osroids¡¯ mind. Its presence fluctuated like a turbulent ocean. It was in thought.
¡°You are strong. Stronger.¡± The Osroids said. ¡°You seem familiar with the ways of the invaders, and can fight them. We have no interest in the invaders, they are something with deal with because we have to.¡±
Lumoof listened. The room was fairly small. Constrained. It was quite different from most of the large, airy chambers favored by other domain holders.
¡°So, we will trade weapons and magic for security. Knowledge of necromancy. We are interested in maintaining the status quo, and will trade for it.¡± The Osroids offered. ¡°The land of the dead will remain off limits, but we can construct a new undead city to accommodate your people. If you wish to have undead servants, we are happy to supply it. We are also capable of constructing custom souls that meet any of your more exotic desires.¡±
Lumoof squirmed at the last item, but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he redirected the question. ¡°What did you do with the heroes?¡±
¡°If the heroes are willing to fight the demons, we let them. If they are not, we use what is in their soul to make a powerful creature to battle the demon king instead. If that fails, we use the power of the hero¡¯s soul as a weapon.¡±
Lumoof frowned. ¡°In the past, have you ever harmed a hero?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± The Osroids answered, as if explaining itself. ¡°Those who are aggressive get what they deserve.¡±
At that moment, I felt the Osroids split a portion of itself, and that portion of itself snuck away. Maybe it anticipated a fight. Lumoof merely smiled. ¡°It is not necessary to do so. We mean no harm.¡±
Lumoof and the Osroids didn¡¯t move, and yet at that moment, we felt our two domains graze each other. The Osroids may have realized we could sense it¡¯s soul movement, but it decided the risk was worth it.
¡°We will accept your offer, Osroids, with two exceptions. We will require full access to your deathlands to do battle with the demon king. Two, we do not know for certain how long the hero summons will remain, but we ask that if you find these heroes, you send them to the land of the living.¡±
The Osroids didn¡¯t move, but I felt the chattering shifts of bone. I wondered whether I emit such a sensation when I was deep in thought. It spoke. ¡°Acceptable, but my wraiths will accompany your forces.¡±
¡°Fair. That is all. We will be in touch, and we hope our peace remains.¡±
The Osroids seemed suspicious, but ultimately, answered diplomatically. ¡°The peace will hold as long as it is upheld.¡±
Lumoof smiled, and said some nice words to end it. ¡°It is good to meet a necromancer that isn¡¯t immediately hostile. This has been pleasant. We will be in touch, Osroids, hopefully, in more cordial terms.¡±
The Osroids didn¡¯t respond immediately, and instead, just watched us leave.
The wraith escorted us back to the valley¡¯s entrance where the bone dragon waited for us, and we left the world of Khubor.
A deal was made.
310. Edna on Caval
Caval.
Edna returned this time to Caval with a purpose to place a node tree, preferably somewhere friendly. Caval was a land of knights, and a land of small feudal kingdoms. These feudal kingdoms laid claim to [hero sword], and that served as the foundation of that kingdom¡¯s power.
How this actually worked was an interesting mechanic at play in this world, and it was something she wanted to see more of.
The descendant swords.
¡°So, Ebon. How many more levels?¡± Edna asked as they both approached the small fortified town. They could feel the magic that leaked out of the city, but Caval was a fairly safe world, and so, they were both in rather ordinary village wear. A tough outer tunic and pants, though they both had much more comfortable inner clothing.
¡°One.¡± Ebon said. ¡°Level 149.¡±
Edna nodded. She knew he¡¯s been at the very edge of the path for a long time, though the exact details often eluded her. Ebon¡¯s service to the Order was probably a hundred years long. Edna nodded, she remembered many years ago, he was just a young [Aeonic Battle Knight]. ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way, my disciple. There¡¯s but a few more steps to take.¡±
Ebon nodded with a brief sigh, a mix of frustration and exhaustion. Ebon was not the only one.
Many Valthorns reach Level 149 and never move for years, even decades, like Ebon, his service is almost a century long, even with all the breaks he took in between service. Even Roon and Johann stared at that final level for years before they made it. ¡°This last step feels a lot further than all the ones before.¡±
Edna tapped the man that was once her disciple on the shoulder. ¡°Keep at it. We¡¯re almost there.¡±
It was a small fortified town, and six guards stood at the gates, decked out in polished steel armor. They wore the liveries of a nearby Lord. [Knights] and [Squires], perhaps with the ability [Clean Armor] or some variant thereof. Edna¡¯s eyes, in particular, noticed one of the guards who stood nearby wielding a magical blade. A blade that has a faint presence of the hero sword.
¡°Visitors?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Edna and Ebon both smiled. ¡°Can we come in?¡±
¡°Bags?¡±
Edna and Ebon both handed over their bags and just briefly checked them. One of the knights whispered to the other. ¡°I keep getting nothing.¡±
The other knightguard replied. ¡°Really? Let me try. [Security Inspection].¡±
Edna and Ebon glanced at each other and immediately, they both activated small rings on their hands. An illusionary object meant to throw off [Inspect].
¡°What are you talking about? I get [Villager] and [Traveller] for both of them.¡± The other knight tapped the man. ¡°You must¡¯ve drained your magical energy.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Anyway, you two are free to go. If you¡¯re here to live permanently, you¡¯ll need to speak to the Town Lord, but other than that the laws of our town are similar to all others. Don¡¯t cause trouble. If you¡¯re here to watch the Seed Drawing Ceremony, it¡¯ll be in four days.¡±
They were exactly here for the Seed Drawing Ceremony, and entered the fortified town.
At first glance it seemed just like any other town. In fact, that was what the scouts thought at first. They didn¡¯t have much time to dive deep into how they worked back then, but now that there was only one real demon-king infested world to deal with, time was quite plentiful.
This town had one hero sword, and unlike most other towns, it had its hero sword out in full display. It stood at the town¡¯s center, a gleaming golden sword that stood embedded into a large stone. It¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t really that great, for both Edna and Ebon, it didn¡¯t seem particularly interesting.
They built a small water fountain around it, and there were at least two knights present, standing guard. The sword itself had a massive steel chain that tied it to the ground. At this distance, they could feel the subtle pulse of the hero swords, and strangely enough, a voice.
Well, only Ebon could, and was partly why she brought him along. ¡°You could hear it?¡± Edna asked. Edna as a domain holder couldn¡¯t interact with this aspect of the hero sword. Strangely enough, Edna didn¡¯t detect her domain blocking anything.
It was as if whatever ¡®feelers¡¯ the sword had knew it couldn¡¯t reach her.
Ebon paused as he focused, and then, he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s whispering. It¡¯s saying something, I can¡¯t quite make out what it is.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Edna nodded. The Valthorn agents claimed they¡¯ve heard strange voices when they were around the cities and towns, but most of the hero swords are hidden in secluded courtyards and spaces. Edna checked her dates again. ¡°Well, don¡¯t think too much about it, we still have time. Let¡¯s rest.¡±
The fortified town didn¡¯t get many visitors normally, but there were slightly more than normal. So, at the inn, the two managed to talk to some other slightly drunk villagers to find out more about the Seed Drawing Ceremony.
¡°I¡¯m still amused that every year or two there¡¯s still visitors that want to see the ceremony. It¡¯s nothing much, really.¡± The visitor said. ¡°Nothing much for us to see, at least, but it¡¯s a lot of work for the swordsmiths.¡±
¡°We¡¯re travelers, and we¡¯ve not seen a seed drawing ceremony. What is it about?¡±
¡°It¡¯s when the swordsmiths offer their blades to the divine blades, and the divine blades share fragments with the blades. It happens every year or so, when the divine blade is ready. The swordsmith with the best blades gets to work with the fragment.¡±
Ebon couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°How is it judged?¡±
¡°Judged? It¡¯s no eating contest! The divine blade chooses whichever blade it wants. Sometimes it chooses none at all and the swordsmiths will be in trouble with the town lord.¡±
¡°The sword chooses?¡± Edna found that strange. ¡°Do the swordsmiths hear the sword talk?¡±
¡°Oh! Those that hear the sword¡¯s words are the sword whisperers! They have a destiny to be great swordsmiths!¡±
Ebon frowned. He was nowhere near a swordsmith, but he knew he heard the sword. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it just say weird things?¡±
¡°No one knows. Swordsmiths are very secretive about that sort of thing.¡± The slightly drunk villager said. The town was a little more crowded as the day of ceremony got closer, and Ebon noticed the voices from the sword began to sound more like a chaotic mess.
There just wasn¡¯t much in the townfolk¡¯s lives that even supposedly boring Seed Drawing Ceremonies become an event.
The town square was converted into a podium, as the fountain¡¯s water was drained, and replaced with temporary wooden floors.
A priest appeared, but he was different from the normal priests. He looked like a priest, and yet, also a swordsmith. He was large, muscular and filled with scars from years of work in the workshops. Even though he wore the deep brown robes of the priesthood, they could tell he was once a swordsmith.
The priest seemed like a fairly mid-level individual. He was likely around level 60 to 70. In one cordoned off area, a group of swordsmiths looked nervous, and they all held a set of weapons wrapped in thick cloth. All of them have done it before.
So, Edna focused her observation on the gossip and rumors from the travelers. Merchants who had seen more places.
¡°I heard this isn¡¯t a powerful hero sword.¡± One of those in the crowd whispered to the others.
¡°It¡¯s not, that¡¯s why the town lord¡¯s only a town lord.¡± Another one whispered back.
The priest-smith walked to the hero sword, and began to chant.
Edna felt him channel priestly powers. Holy powers common in priests and those who had a leg in these sort of classes. The sword glowed and emitted a powerful magical presence, as if it was a sword in its prime, as if it¡¯s original creator still lived.
For a moment, this was a hero sword as if a hero still held it.
The priest turned and roared at the swordsmiths. ¡°Present your seedling candidates to the Holy Sword.¡±
The swordsmiths were ready, each of them held a finely crafted sword in their hand, and they all walked towards the platform. Once they approached, the hero sword seemed to glow, and it had wisps of light that reached out. The wisps touched the swords presented by the swordsmiths briefly.
The priest continued to chant, as if continuing to supply magical energy to the hero sword, and then, the hero sword pulsed.
¡°The Sword has chosen.¡± The priest said.
The hero sword pulsed once more, and then, two of the swordsmiths¡¯ creations floated up. The hero sword shot a beam of light into each of them, and those swords glowed.
¡°Two of the crafted blades are worthy!¡± The priest said, and the crowd cheered. Those that failed looked dejected, but some looked relieved. The floating glowing swords landed back in the hands of the swordsmith, and they looked nervous.
The priest said a prayer, and then turned to face the crowd.
¡°And so, it is now the duty of the swordsmith to forge the greatest blades with the seedlings granted to them.¡±
Ebon looked at Edna. ¡°Isn¡¯t the sword already done?¡±
¡°I thought so too.¡± Edna nodded, as she then tried to ask a villager. ¡°What happens now?¡±
¡°Oh? The swordsmiths are supposed to refine the blades some more, usually they do some polishing, some engraving and all that kind of stuff to make the sword worthy of a hero-descended sword.¡± The villager said, clearly faking a level of expertise. Edna didn¡¯t buy it.
The details of what exactly happened with the hero swords and these ¡®descendant¡¯ swords is unclear, though Edna and Ebon both knew that most of these weapons were in the hands of the town lords and his chosen knights. So, the two decided to watch.
Secretly.
***
They infiltrated one of the victorious swordsmith¡¯s workshops that very day. The swordsmith, a relatively middle aged man, probably around levels 40 to 50 in some [blacksmith] related class was greeted by his apprentice, a younger boy that was about level 15 to 20. Edna and Ebon, both shrouded by magic, hid in the corners and watched how the Swordsmith did their work.
From what Edna knew, it was exceptionally hard to work on hero items, due to the presence of star mana within them. Only Aeon could attempt to replicate and work with them, but the powers of the [Hero¡¯s Forge] were in a league of its own.
¡°Master, I have the things ready.¡± The apprentice said nervously. The apprentice looked nervous, but from what Edna understood, this swordsmith made a few descendant swords in the past few years, so this wasn¡¯t their first run.
¡°Good.¡± The swordsmith said, ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±
The actual space where the sword would be forged wasn¡¯t like any other part of the workshop. It was clean, and almost seemed like an altar, rather than a workshop. The swordsmith placed the sword with the hero sword¡¯s seed on the altar, and then, the smith knelt before it.
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He started to pray. The glow of the sword began to spread, and then, touched the swordsmith itself. The glow spread, and for a moment, both the swordsmith and the sword were connected by a glow of light.
Holy power allowed the smith to reach into the sword, and change it.
The swordsmith began muttering some prayers, and the apprentice placed a tray of items next to the swordsmith. The tray contained a rather random selection of items. A few types of metals, a few types of wood, flowers, pens, paper, some food, some drinks, a small cup of blood, and a cup of water.
He picked up some metals, some items, and then, somehow offered it to the sword.
The sword seemed to change ever so slightly. The swordsmith offered some more steel, but some of the items were then suddenly rejected and flung far away.
¡°Okay, not that one.¡± The swordsmith said, ¡°Something else. Faster.¡±
The apprentice quickly offered some flowers. The flowers were strangely taken, as they vanished into the sword.
The apprentice handed a pen to the swordsmith, but then he stopped. ¡°Wait. It¡¯s saying something. Wait. It¡¯s ready. Apprentice, wait.¡±
The swordsmith turned to face the sword and bowed to it. He began to mutter certain words of prayer, and the glowing between the two brightened slightly.
At that moment, the swordsmith picked up a hammer that was on his belt. ¡°I am ready.¡±
Edna and Ebon watched, as the swordsmith¡¯s eyes began to glow, as if he was having an out of body experience. They felt some magic flow between the swordsmith and the descendant sword, and the swordsmith just knelt for the rest of the evening, his eyes glowing but his mind clearly not present.
The apprentice held the swordsmith, and kept him supported during the rest of the evening. Edna and Ebon watched, and Edna felt the subtle shifts in the sword during this entire time. Sometimes it got stronger, sometimes it turned weaker.
Maybe it wasn¡¯t the perfect outcome, but in the depths of night, the glow between the two vanished, and the swordsmith returned to his body thoroughly exhausted. The sword landed back on the altar. ¡°Water.¡±
The apprentice ran with two large mugs which the swordsmith finished in two big gulps. At that point, the apprentice asked. ¡°How did it go, master?¡±
¡°I- I think I did decently. Let¡¯s check the sword. Help me up.¡± The swordsmith¡¯s body was kneeling the entire evening, and so, the apprentice helped him up. The two walked to the sword to inspect it.
The swordsmith looked at it a little frustrated.
¡°Ah. It¡¯s not much different from what it was. I thought I did better.¡±
The man took a deep breath, and prayed anyway.
¡°Let¡¯s make a scabbard for the sword tomorrow.¡± The man left the blade on the altar and took a good rest.
***
The next few days, the man made a relatively elaborate scabbard, and then, Edna and Ebon watched the two swordsmiths present their completed weapons to the Town Lord.
The Town Lord inspected the weapons, and didn¡¯t seem too impressed.
Despite that, he said nothing of it, and just thanked the two swordsmith for their work. One of the Lord¡¯s treasurers paid the two for their services, and sent them away.
The two infiltrators didn¡¯t just leave it as that, and stayed back to listen to their honest assessment.
¡°It¡¯s average. Good enough for knights, but not something that could replace this.¡± The town lord tapped a sword on his belt, also a hero-descendant sword. Edna noticed almost everyone in the lord¡¯s personal knights possessed a sword of similar category.
The Lord¡¯s knight commander nodded, as it was now his turn to inspect the weapon. ¡°It¡¯ll be good enough for the newly promoted knights, but this does mean we can only promote two new knights this year.¡±
¡°Two will have to do, then.¡± The Lord declared to his men, ¡°Let the remaining squires compete for the post.¡±
***
Ebon and Edna left the two to explore another bigger town.
Caval¡¯s towns were all spread far apart, and the farms were fairly clustered. One of the primary causes of the high density and clustering was because of the hero swords.
A town without a hero sword is no town.
There were smaller villages, but these were often linked to a larger town that regularly sent knights to protect them from the monsters. In between all the towns and cities were plenty of untamed forests and mountains, and monster lairs.
On a macro level, this fed into the myth of the Knights of Caval. Knight would set out to slay the monsters, defend their cities from the dark creatures.
According to the reports, the largest towns generally correlated to the strength of their hero swords. Stronger hero swords attracted more people to live under its protection, since the powerful hero swords created stronger descendant swords, and stronger knights.
The hero swords are like fruit trees. Each hero summoned to Caval starts with a sword seed, which grows into his personal sword. It is this sword that becomes a hero sword when he dies, or when he gives it away. It is said that a hero could create a new hero sword if he gives one away, but there is some kind of price to be paid. Details were fairly scarce, since most of the drunk knights only regurgitated tales from their travels, the stories brought by travelers and merchants or whatever their lords told them.
The next city they arrived at didn¡¯t display the hero sword out in the open. Instead, it was hidden deep in the city¡¯s keep. The city lord styled himself a King, though it seemed that no one dared to speak up to the King, since he didn¡¯t have the [King] class, and instead only had a [Lord] class. The city never had a [King] in its history, but at some point, the system could recognize it as true, and would convert the city lord¡¯s title into a [King].
Edna and Ebon weren''t particularly interested in the city¡¯s politics, as their focus was learning about the details of the hero sword, and how they worked.
The world of knights and their glorious accomplishments didn¡¯t spread on their own and instead, it was the traveling bards and songstresses who amplified the knight¡¯s glories.
The relative ratio of armed warriors to non-warriors was quite low compared to the other worlds, simply because a knight that had a descendant sword could do the work of ten soldiers against the monsters. Due to the limited nature of these swords, Caval¡¯s towns and cities valued quality over quantity. The largest amount in any city were the squires. Squires who were soldiers in training but have yet to receive their descendant swords.
Even in a city with 20,000 to 50,000 people, there were only about 2,000 actual squires, and about 100 to 200 knights. On the other worlds, the military¡¯s strength was at least three to five times the number.
High leveled knights who were level 60 to 80, and outfitted with the descendant swords could slay demon champions. It¡¯s a virtuous feedback loop, where a small number of strong warriors slaying demons and monsters meant less sharing of experience, which created even stronger warriors.
This specialization also meant there was more resources and manpower for more artistic pursuits and specializations. Bards, woodworkers who made a range of instruments, farmers, brewers, the priest-smiths, and many other kinds of frivolous entertainment.
Here in one such larger city, that was in full display.
Taverns with beers, dancers, singers and bards were all over the main street. It was common in Caval that the temples and the workshops were often located next to each other. The priests of this world prayed to a range of gods, and unlike the other worlds, Caval¡¯s temples worshiped a pantheon of gods. Hawa, Neira, and Gaya. The Cavalians referred to these gods as the Three Swords of Gods, and they often pray to all three together as Three.
¡°She¡¯s around here.¡± Ebon reached a quiet home located in the workshop district of the city. It was a small, slender home that was probably once a workshop, but the workshop was now replaced with a small garden of flowers. Walls replaced with open windows for the sun.
Their goal was an old priestess and a great sword whisperer. In her youth, the rumors claimed she made powerful descendant swords. But mainly, because she was really old, and thus knew things many didn¡¯t.
Ebon checked. ¡°She¡¯s inside.¡±
¡°Got it.¡± Edna knocked on the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Hello, we¡¯re looking for Priestess Shuwan.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a priestess anymore.¡± The old woman responded.
Edna grinned. ¡°Then we¡¯re looking for Shuwan, we wish to speak to her.¡±
¡°Come in.¡± The former priestess¡¯s home was clean, and well lit with ample sunlight from the large windows. The living room was fairly narrow, but it didn¡¯t feel that way. Two of the walls were decorated with scabbards, their swords nowhere to be found. ¡°Sit, sit. Do you want some tea? What can this old woman do for you?¡±
Edna and Ebon smiled, and so Edna started. ¡°That would be nice, but we¡¯re here to learn about the past, and the hero swords that are all over our world.¡±
Shuwan smiled, brewed a pot of hot tea and sat down on the table with three cups. Ebon quickly helped her pour the tea.
¡°Oh? You want my story?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Edna said.
¡°That¡¯s probably the third time someone ever asked, and in the first two times, it was a hero. Are you a hero?¡± Shuwan smiled.
Edna smiled back, and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Most of these worlds didn¡¯t have an appreciation of the truth and history. They were busy surviving year on year, and even when they did create documents about history, it often spoke about the glories and achievements of their cities, kings, lords and knights. Things about the nature of hero swords would be mentioned in passing, but not much attention was given to them. The swords were how things are, and how things were, and how things will be.
Someone like Shuwan with her long history, knew and seen a lot of things, and interestingly, it was only people like heroes that would think about speaking to someone like her.
The woman was old, and at almost three hundred years old, it was probably the limit of her level-extended lifespan.
¡°And if you¡¯re not the hero, why should I tell you?¡± Shuwan said.
Edna smiled. ¡°What would it take for us to hear the truth?¡±
Shuwan found that funny, and nodded. ¡°I jest. I¡¯m an old woman happy to talk about my past. Too bad few want to listen and many have long forgotten who I once was. Where should we start?¡±
¡°What are the hero swords?¡±
¡°It is what you know. They are the remains of the heroes¡¯ journey. Each hero arrives in our world with a seed, which with their nurturing, grows into a powerful weapon. Depending on the Three Sword¡¯s blessings, the swords gain different types of powers. When I traveled with the hero Yoru so many, many years ago, he would visit each old hero sword and he would then imprint a memory of that hero sword into his own. The old heroes gain a wide variety of powers, because they can summon the swords they have met during their journey to aid them.¡±
¡°You traveled with the hero?¡± Edna asked.
¡°Yes! I traveled with two heroes, actually. Yoru, when I was a young woman, and later Zahar, when I was an older priestess of the sword.¡± Shuwan said proudly. ¡°But it¡¯s an old story, that was- maybe two hundred years ago. Back when the three or four heroes arrived and I was the one chosen by the Lord to accompany the hero and provide my wisdom.¡±
¡°But why?¡± Edna asked. She knew why, but she wanted to hear it from her.
¡°Heroes need knowledge. They need company. They need someone to be there for them, care for them, and love them.¡± Shuwan said frankly. ¡°They are fragile men and women, and even if they have strong powers, the temples know they must be cared for, and the temple- well, the temple wanted children from the heroes.¡±
¡°Oh. Did you have any?¡±
Shuwan smiled. ¡°Yes! My grandson¡¯s now the Knight Commander of the city! Of course, the hero¡¯s blood is a little diluted, but still!¡±
¡°But, why?¡±
The former priestess laughed. ¡°Why else? Our children can draw more out of the hero¡¯s descendant swords.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Edna chuckled. ¡°So, these hero swords, what else do you know about them? What¡¯s something we don¡¯t know?¡±
¡°Hah. Such a hero-way of asking questions, I¡¯d almost think you came from their world.¡± Shuwan laughed, but talked anyway. ¡°Well, the heroes- well, Zahar gave away one of his hero swords when he was level 90 or so, just because he saw a village that was really vulnerable and wanted to protect them. So he planted his hero sword there and then.¡±
¡°Must a hero plant the sword?¡±
¡°Not always. That¡¯s what I¡¯m for, as well. If the hero falls in battle, I¡¯ll retrieve his hero sword. The hero swords actually contain a fragment of their being, a part of their soul, and it resonates better with me than anyone else because I was their companion on the journey. The companion is always a priest-smith, because we can work with the sword he left behind. We can speak to it, better than anyone else.¡±
But eventually, they too die, and so lesser smiths must learn to pick up the slack.
¡°Is it always a girl?¡± Edna wondered.
¡°Not always. A man is fine, as long as the two have a strong friendship. Sending a woman to be a hero¡¯s companion has its challenges, since a woman may find the hero less appealing and there¡¯s a lot of complicated feelings that don''t make us a good companion. I was lucky that I liked the two heroes I was assigned to, but it¡¯s not always the case. Romance and love isn¡¯t necessary, all that is needed is a strong connection that the hero sword inherits. Are you two trying to be the next hero companion? There should be a demon king in another five or so years, but it¡¯s hard to say whether there will be a hero.¡±
Edna just nodded. ¡°You can say that.¡±
¡°Ah. Hopefully they send more than one. It rarely ends well with only one hero.¡± Shuwan said with a sigh.
¡°So, a hero can create a second hero sword?¡± Edna tried to redirect the question back to the earlier question. ¡°Why not create more? The world clearly has space for many more.¡±
¡°Each new hero seed costs levels. Five to ten levels of the hero¡¯s [Hero] class, and the new hero sword starts from scratch.¡± Shuwan said.
¡°Starting from scratch?¡± Edna asked. ¡°Do the hero swords have levels?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± The old woman smiled. ¡°They are special like that. They are a part of the hero, and so, each hero gains two sets of levels. One for himself, and one for his sword. Once given away they stopped growing, the swords transformed into the objects you see out there, but they gained some other abilities to protect their new home.¡±
Edna¡¯s mind immediately thought of Aeon¡¯s idea of creating a living weapon. That was possible with a titan soul, but here, the hero¡¯s sword was doing something else altogether.
***
¡°Do you think we can do something similar? A living weapon that¡¯s so powerful that we could use it on the demon Sun-Rings?¡± Edna asked. ¡°Something that outlasts even the heroes.¡±
If the hero swords were living weapons, then the natural idea was for a hero from Caval to gain power across many, many worlds to create a super-hero sword. Or whether they could make something with a titan soul, and push the living aspect to it¡¯s limits by cobbling multiple titan soul-like weapons together.
¡°This makes this world a dilemma for us. If we stop hero summons, we¡¯re fulfilling our end of the bargain, but we wouldn¡¯t be able to experiment with the heroes.¡± Edna said. ¡°I¡¯m being a little selfish, but I really want to see what it¡¯s like to have these living swords pushed to the limits. Could they be more powerful than the heroes themselves?¡±
¡°Then we should let Aeon know to just hold off on this world. I think we could afford a delay to our plans?¡± Ebon wondered. ¡°Skipping one cycle is what, ten or twenty years? Aeon could wait that long, no problem.¡±
Edna agreed. ¡°Aeon won¡¯t be the problem. Time is hardly a concern for him, and waiting a decade more or two is indeed nothing. I am more concerned with my peers. Would my peers be willing to hold off for twice as long? Alka may be on my side, since he¡¯s willing to experiment, but will Stella let me do this? Are we playing with the lives of my fellow warriors?¡±
¡°We could let the demon king appear but don¡¯t kill it? Leave it incapacitated and allow the summoning of heroes to trigger?¡±
¡°Agreed. That¡¯s possible with Lumoof¡¯s powers and my swords. Now, I¡¯ll have to convince the rest of my domain holders to hold on for a little longer.¡±
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311. Faith
311
Year 280
¡°Hawa, how long do we have to wait if we plan to hold off on rescuing one of the worlds?¡± Lumoof asked the object in his hand. Edna¡¯s encounters with the hero swords made me wonder whether we could replace it with another world.
There was silence, at first.
¡°If it¡¯s one world, perhaps another 5 years, so all in you may have to wait and hold these worlds for up to 35 years before I gather enough faith points.¡±
Thirty five years. In a way, that wasn¡¯t a bad amount of time, since we could reinforce our hold on these peripheral worlds, and replenish the strength of the Valtrian Order and Valthorns. 35 years was enough for one to two generations of new warriors to join our ranks.
Though a part of me wondered whether it is enough to attack the demons, I realize that at this moment, it didn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll just have to get ready. If we are not, we will take a step back and rebuild.
¡°Do you have domain holders under you?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°Yes. A few, they care for some of my Core Worlds. They serve as my voice to my people.¡±
¡°What do you do if they get too strong?¡±
¡°Why would they? It gets progressively harder to get stronger under the old system, and they would have to constantly seek out battles. My core worlds are safe, they do not get invaded by the demons frequently.¡±
Ah. It¡¯s so easy to plateau, and I noticed this too, even in my domain holders. There¡¯s always a point where progress seems incredibly slow. Years pass by without a level gained.
Even for me, my level gains have been so slow that I¡¯ve not expected more levels unless I did something big. The last significant gain I had was during the demon¡¯s comet. So far, our expeditions to the peripheral worlds didn¡¯t lead to many levels for me.
¡°Have you started to save up some faith points?¡±
¡°Yes. It will take some time, but faith points accumulate slowly over the years.¡±
¡°Yet you do not want to send your priests and prophets to these worlds to convert them to your faith?¡±
¡°Distant worlds generate the least amount of faith points. I much prefer to create new planets in my core realms and populate them with even more believers. There is more progress that way.¡±
¡°Wait. How big are your core worlds?¡±
¡°Compared to some of the peripheral worlds, perhaps ten, or twenty times larger? Some of my realms have thirty planets filled with my believers, in the billions.¡±
That explained the sheer scale and why the gods are so unwilling to entertain distant worlds. It¡¯s core worlds are so big, and just managing that should take up most of its time. ¡°Ah. But how does the Will of the World work in such a situation?¡±
¡°There isn¡¯t one. I have merged with the old Will of the Worlds for those where I have claimed as my Core Worlds. These worlds and me are one and the same, and it is why my existence is calculated as a blend of the worlds where I rule.¡±
¡°But- wait, don¡¯t you die if you lose your followers?¡±
¡°Yes, but the worlds will have to die first, and so long as I rule them, I won¡¯t.¡±
Ah. Interesting. So since the World Faith System allows them to supplant the world¡¯s existing will and made it their own-
¡°Wait. Then how do the demons capture a god if you are merged with your core world?¡±
¡°They must have defeated all of that god¡¯s worlds, and forced it to its last controlled world. And there, it captured its last controlled world, effectively claiming control over its faith.¡±
¡°But a god can draw power from further away than its core world.¡±
¡°Yes. But the core worlds are where we tie our presence. Call it an anchor of our reality.¡±
¡°But, why don¡¯t the gods just keep merging with the Will of the Worlds?¡±
¡°Each merger costs Faith Points, and the less world we control, the harder it is to generate the necessary faith points.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you keep merging with more worlds? At some point you control so many worlds that you can keep merging with more?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a distance penalty for each merger, each merger shifts my center of faith ever slightly, making some worlds further away from that center and dilutes the faith point generated from that world. In other words, there is an optimal arrangement of worlds based on the current density of worlds in the void.¡±
¡°But you can move worlds as the Will of the World. Can you not just move it closer to the center of your mass such that each world is optimally arranged within your center of faith?¡±
There was an odd silence. A really, really long odd silence. ¡°It can be done, at some faith point cost, but there is a size restriction of the number of realms in the same space in the void sea, but no real limit on the number of worlds within a single realm, but-¡±
Again, a weird, long silence, as if it was in thought.
¡°Maybe that belief is also flawed. I will experiment on this.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Even the old gods work with fairly constrained information. The System works the way it does, but not all the tricks to optimize it¡¯s performance are known.
At that point, I wondered how my clones interacted with the Will of the World.
¡°What sort of powers do you get with the Will of the World? I mean, other than the power to move worlds.¡±
¡°Fairly wide. I can create and alter race compositions, alter species, create divine and magical laws that permeate the world, move worlds, alter its core concepts, subject to the [System]¡¯s limits.¡±
¡°Can you shape portals?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
I wondered. ¡°Are you able to block people from coming, then?¡±
¡°I have not tried, but maybe. At least, I can block a world¡¯s core from interacting with a person. Like, I can weave rules into the world to prevent certain things from happening, such as dragons can¡¯t fly, or trees can¡¯t grow bigger than a certain size. Some rules will need to go through the System¡¯s implied voting process, and can take a while.¡±
Could it even stop me from deploying my clones? ¡°Can you stop the movement of souls, too?¡±
¡°A limited yes. I can create mechanisms that slow the movement of souls and recycle them, but over a long period of time, no.¡±
This lends credence to the idea that souls are one of the foundational forces of the world, but I wondered what the demons could do with worlds where it has fully ¡®possessed¡¯ the will of the world, and weaponized that ability. It has not done so with the demon worlds we¡¯ve seen so far, but there is no reason to believe the demon worlds within the bubble are similar.
¡°Are you able to prepare a force to fight with us, as we make our way to the demon¡¯s sun?¡± I asked. ¡°Join us, support us in our fight.¡±
A long silence later, it agreed. ¡°Very well. I will have 1,000 high quality warriors ready within forty years.¡±
¡°Any domainholders?¡±
¡°No. My domain holders are far too precious.¡±
***
Three decades of relative peace should be achievable, though we are left with a few more worlds where we intended to see a little more happen.
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¡°We are largely ready for the next phase of our movements. The rest of the Valthorns will focus their efforts on restoring the health of the peripheral worlds, but for us, we have other things to do.¡± Lumoof gathered the domain holders for a talk. They were connected through [dream academy].
The dream version of Alka nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll spend another few years here in Delvegard. I think I can get a deeper grip into their society, but we¡¯ll need a big deployment of staff to build a new space for these guys. In a safer world. Do we intend to use the world next to the Sun-Rings as a staging post? If so, that¡¯s where we should go. It¡¯ll make it much easier to send over the war machines to the Sun-Rings.¡±
¡°Is attacking the Sun-Rings with war machines even necessary?¡±
¡°Well, maybe not, but the Sun-Rings is where we are closest to the demon¡¯s barrier. Once it breaks, it will lead to the inner worlds, and I expect a lot of war.¡±
¡°Fair.¡±
¡°What sort of crack are we expecting in the demon¡¯s barrier?¡± Johann asked.
Stella then elaborated. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure of what sort of power Hawa¡¯s weapon has, but let¡¯s assume the barrier will either have a hole in it, or fall completely. We should be able to move closer towards the demonic worlds that are on the other side. I believe we should be seeing demon worlds.¡±
¡°So a whole lot of battle.¡±
¡°Yes, and the domain holders will be the tip of the spear.¡± Alka explained. The rest of the Valthorns will need to hold on to a set of worlds that form a path for us to retreat, if needed. ¡°The likelihood of that sort of path being necessary probably isn¡¯t high if we can have Aeon¡¯s clone deployed somewhere along the way, but we don¡¯t really know whether there are restrictions of Aeon¡¯s deployment. We know so far during our first attack on the Sun-Rings that Aeon cannot deploy on places without sufficient soil. We are highly likely entering worlds that have been heavily warped by the demon¡¯s presence, quite like the core worlds of the old gods.¡±
¡°So more divine law stuff.¡±
¡°Yes, exactly. Which is why we are the tip of the spear.¡± Alka said. ¡°We¡¯ll need more firepower. Way more firepower.¡±
Somehow, Johann, Roon, Kafa and Ezar looked at Lumoof at the same time.
Lumoof blinked. ¡°What?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll need to get more allies.¡±
¡°Ah yes.¡±
¡°It is the avatar¡¯s role as the primary representative.¡± Johann said. ¡°If we need more domain holders, we¡¯ll have to recruit some of these others to fight on our side.¡±
¡°Or we find more allies.¡± Stella said. ¡°We should resume the Void Layers exploration.¡±
¡°Or reach for the other gods.¡± Roon poked in, and this time, he looked at Stella. ¡°If we can get Hawa to give us some guys, Aiva probably could too. We should reach Aiva, somehow.¡±
Stella frowned. ¡°Aww man. I already have two void explorers headed in different directions. If we find something, we¡¯ll know.¡±
Roon and Johann looked at each other. ¡°But if we¡¯re venturing to worlds where there are divine laws, we¡¯ll need a void domain holder.¡±
¡°Unless if, we can somehow share the protections of a domainholder with any of five other void archmages.¡± Alka said.
¡°Is there?¡± Stella asked.
¡°Not that I know of.¡±
Lumoof shook his head. ¡°If we can locate more gods that is ideal. But our efforts should be on the basis that we don¡¯t find any more gods, and so we need to improve the strength of our forces. The peripheral worlds are mostly connected to a demon world, we should make use of that.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to give our new recruits some additional knowledge and experience.¡±
Then Edna brought up her observations on the hero mechanic on Caval. The matter was circulated to the domain holders earlier, so most of them knew about it on a relatively high level basis.
¡°I¡¯d like to experiment on the hero class.¡±
That made Stella squirm slightly. ¡°The rest of the heroes won¡¯t agree on that.¡±
¡°Why won¡¯t they? They have another friend to fight with.¡± Johann asked.
¡°It¡¯s taking people away from their homes. Away from their current lives. It¡¯s allowing the gods to kidnap them.¡± Stella countered.
¡°Not if you believe what happens to heroes when they die.¡± Alka said. ¡°They get placed back as if it never happened. Nothing really was lost. It¡¯s like a dream.¡±
¡°We have no way of proving whether that is true.¡± Stella countered. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. We¡¯re allowing the system to take one.¡±
Alka looked at Stella, and frowned. ¡°Just one, Stella. Think of the lives we can save, if there¡¯s a way to make a super powerful living weapon. Something that we can then use on other worlds as well.¡±
¡°There¡¯s ways to do that without the heroes.¡± Stella insisted. ¡°Edna already has her quest swords, why can¡¯t her quest swords do something similar once she gains more levels?¡±
¡°Stella, it will end on it¡¯s own. It¡¯s a matter of time.¡± Alka countered. ¡°The more we can learn how the world works and how some worlds integrate the hero summons into it¡¯s natural ecosystem, the better equipped we are to deal with the consequences. Caval will have its end of summons eventually, and I think Edna has a point. One hero. One summons. That¡¯s it.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Do you want some time to think about this?¡± Alka tried to brush off her rejection.
¡°Aeon, we have to stop this cycle of pulling people from our worlds.¡± Stella said. ¡°Stopping hero summons is a good thing!¡±
But I wasn¡¯t so sure.
***
Twinspace
Land of the plenty. Land of the overpopulated.
Kafa, Roon and Johann arrived and found the chaos even more overwhelming than the overpopulated cities of the Central Continent. Somehow, the population here was just bigger. People here just had more children, and children grew up faster. Fertility levels were high in every race, and it seemed the minds of the people were very much inclined to have children, and we discovered they were indeed wired differently.
The souls of humans, lizardpeople, elves, dwarves. All slightly different. Their minds favored children, even though as a society, they don¡¯t seem to treat their young very well. Instead, they generally were left to fend for themselves, though crimes on young hungry children were rarely punished, unless severe.
But there was a price to such a different mindset. A price paid, in another form.
The level caps on everyone were lower. No one got above level 75 in this world. Ten levels of difference, and in return, a land slightly smaller than the Central Continent housed ten, if not fifteen times as many individuals.
Maybe even twenty.
Kafa found the place pleasant. He was always fond of crowds. Lizardfolks generally were comfortable with crowds. It didn¡¯t bother them, and their minds were able to shut out the unnecessary noise.
***
¡°The demon continent is the promised land!¡± Matriarch Hoyia stood on top of the podium. A crowd surrounded her. ¡°Our divine God Aeon has a vision, a task for us all. Once we reclaim the demon continent, it will be transformed into a land of plenty. Enough to feed your family. Your friends. Everyone!¡±
The crowd listened, as Hoyia¡¯s [A Seed for the Masses] spread throughout the entire plaza.
¡°Aeon¡¯s warriors await us on our journey. Our path, my fellow brethren. Our divine god calls on us to prepare for this journey. A crusade of our own to purge the unholy from our world! The reward is a new promised land. A land that is fertile, where minerals and resources are plentiful, and our god¡¯s men will be there to help us. So, my brethren. We must make the journey. Our crusade awaits!¡±
Roon and Johann kept watch, just in case anyone tried something. But Hoyia had enough artifacts on her to block a demon king¡¯s attack. ¡°The crowd¡¯s buying it.¡±
¡°A lot more than I expected.¡± Johann said, and realized a lot were nodding. Some were swayed. A few walked up. Hoyia bought a building later that day, and officially set up the first Temple of Aeon on the world of Twinspace.
A total of three matriarchs and patriarchs of the Treeology came to Twinspace. The act of converting these masses into believers, zealots, was the first step. Once they gained scale, they would convert even the nobles, and from there, the preparations for the crusades would be on the way.
The first Twinspace Temple of Aeon was located on a harbor city, it was ruled by a local King. There were soldiers, but anyone could tell that they were hardly loyal. They were only doing it because the King paid them.
How easy it was to sway the hearts of these lost sheep.
An offering of food, a blessing from a priestess, and a light touch of borrowed divinity, and Hoyia turned a group of lazy, unmotivated guards into her own private army of eager zealots.
¡°It¡¯s quite scary what she¡¯s doing.¡± Roon said, as each of the matriarch and patriarch somehow converted hundreds and thousands of regular civilians into believers of the Aeonic faith.
Similar to Alka, Hoyia and the priesthood went down to the people, and converted them first. The ruling institutions will fall on their own, once the legs they stood on collapse. The powerful may have higher levels, and are stronger, but in the end, the benefits of that level only matter if they have someone to lord it over.
With the Temple of Aeon, and the power of the matriarchs, it would be easy to resist their attempts.
In two months, the Temple of Aeon on the shoreline cities had grown to thousands, winning over soldiers and citizens alike.
The nobility began to notice, but by then the Temple of Aeon was already sizable, and some began to whisper directly into the noble¡¯s ears.
In that shoreline city itself, the fire now reached the city¡¯s lord.
¡°The demon¡¯s continent is actually our promised land.¡± A zealous converted officer explained to that very town¡¯s lord. The Lord was furious. ¡°We must join the Temple of Aeon on the crusade to the demonic continent! Our suffering all this while was because we allowed the demonic continent to remain corrupted!¡±
¡°What ridiculous claim is this? How are the other temples not crushing this fake priestess?¡± The Lord stared at the converted officer. The rest of the guards looked tense. They were friends, but the officer had been thoroughly mesmerized.
The zealous converted officer stood, and drew his sword. ¡°City Lord, the powers of the matriarch are real, and her divine blessing is true. You doubt it, but see this.¡±
His entire body radiated power for a matriarch¡¯s blessing.
¡°Are you dabbling in demonic energy?¡± The Lord didn¡¯t believe it, incredulous. ¡°Haul him up and throw him in prison.¡±
¡°City Lord, you may throw me in prison, but I beg you, go see the priestess for yourself. Matriarch Hoyia¡¯s faith is true, and her vision of god is real!¡±
The Lord looked at his guards. ¡°Throw the man in jail, and summon this false priestess to my office. I¡¯ll see what this succubus is doing to my officers!¡±
***
312. Rooted In Ones Mind
312
Year 280 (continued)
Hoyia was not a young woman. She took the appearance of a regal, mature woman, and the very moment she walked into the Lord¡¯s mansion it was clear to everyone.
Maids, butlers, soldiers, guards. They all could feel it in their souls when someone who possessed the air of holiness, and for the Lord of that Town, his opinions shifted the moment she walked through her door.
Holy.
A thousand words could not describe standing before one who speaks with the weight of divinity.
Hoyia and the priests were normal for the rest of the Valthorns. But for these folks of Twinspace, they cannot even begin to explain how unique the sensation was. The local [Lord] stood in the presence of a high leveled priestess with her powers in full swing.
Though fleeting, or momentary, a priest is an extension of their god. A priest is the conduit between reality and the powers of god as written in the system.
The Lord blinked, as the sensation hit him. For a Lord who had never met a true holy man in a world with few holy existences, it was akin to seeing for the first time. ¡°-how?¡±
Hoyia did not bow or kneel, her words divine, but she may as well have been a succubus. There really was no difference at their level of power. The [Lord] wasn¡¯t very strong, likely only level 30 to 40, and so, his resistance crumbled.
¡°Greetings, Town Lord. It seems Aeon saw it fit to arrange an opportunity for me to convince you of our truth. Would you like to join us in our crusade? There is a promised land for us, but it is not free. It is one that we have to earn ourselves.¡±
The lord was enraptured, and in a single meeting, converted. Hoyia made it look easy, and some [Lords] were ever weaker than others.
One Lord done. Hundreds more to go.
A crusade for the demonic continent would now stir the world into a frenzy. New ships would be constructed, aided by the Valtrian Order¡¯s craftsmen.
Perhaps, Magisar should¡¯ve used the priests to speak to the mages. The faith was far more potent and infectious than they expected.
Year 281
The Order purged all of Magisar¡¯s demonic hives. What¡¯s left are just small patches of demons and corrupted land. A matter of time before the world is truly devoid of demons.
The Magisarian economy hinged on food harvesting and mineral collection. Due to a lack of hard metals in their world, most of their goods were constructed and reinforced with magic. The hero-created floating towers were the primary exception.
With peace, that meant old harvesting locations and mining spots could be restored, and trade routes resurrected. Most of this didn¡¯t need her involvement.
A great thing, and so, the Order focused its efforts on recruitment. Training mages for the next batch. New schools. Lausanne and the Order recruited some of the friendly mages, thankfully not all were stupid enough to side with the Tower Masters, and a few new schools were constructed.
Children of Magisar did not have the old biases of their parents, and they did not inherit a ¡®fear¡¯ of the land.
Like the lizardfolk, the children would experience a world so different from their parents that it was hard for them to understand. The Order¡¯s priests would have to heavily step in to manage this generational transition.
The Order set up a total of ten new magic schools across Magisar, and unlike the Tower, the new schools were large academy style buildings replicated after the various magic schools of Treehome, but staffed with a joint team from both the Order and also the local mages. The Order didn¡¯t have that many mages to spare, so each of the schools could only have about five to ten level 70 to 80 mages, and the rest would be Magisarian local mages.
The Magisarians used to have magical carnivals, tournaments as recorded in their historical documents, so she revived old tournaments and events between the Towers, and added these new academies into the mix as competitors.
Now that the demons are exterminated, in theory, the Order should gradually cut off the Towers and let them return to their old ways, similar to Treehome. But Aeon¡¯s mercy left a mark on the old leadership, and none of the successors dared to lay claim to the respective leadership roles. So the Order¡¯s mages continued to rule in place of the Tower Masters.
To make the best of what was already done, Lausanne and Blackthorn replicated the council of representatives of the Central Continent, and made each of the Towers nominate a group of five representatives, to represent their interests to the newly established Magisar Council, housed in the new city.
***
Delvegard
Crafters vanished. Tens. Hundreds.
Entire workshops somehow robbed overnight with not a sound or witness. Vaults filled with Sunsteel, Sunmetal and void weapons are all gone somehow.
A great theft of people, weapons and resources.
The Kings and rulers of Delvegard were in panic. Many wanted to comprehend what in the world happened to their nations.
Even in the greatest of Delvegard¡¯s war machine academies, multiple masters just vanished overnight, along with all their gear.
There was a noticeable sense of dread in the Yards, that even the Forge Master of the Yards, the former King, patrolled the place extensively, along with his best warriors.
But even full security didn¡¯t help when powerful Order operatives placed everyone in the yard to sleep.
Those that vanished were housed in a series of secret new homes in new cities, in a series of new cities throughout Delvegard. Built into old Sunmetal and Sunsteel Mines, the crafters and builders from the Order had quickly constructed new, fortified and heavily magically reinforced cities hidden from view, and in places normally inaccessible.
We called these the New Delvegardian Cities.
Carved out of old mines or dead mines. An underground path was constructed that connected these New Delvegardian Cities to the regular dwarven towns ruled and managed by Lord Sundus and his peers.
These cities were basic but functional, but what truly made them realize that they were now working with crafters who were from other worlds were the singular object placed in their heart, along with the strange crystals that surrounded them.
The Rift Gates at the heart of the Delvegardian Cities. These oval-shaped gates were massive objects of otherworldly origin, and the dwarves could tell these were not made by dwarves.
¡°Stolen.¡± The void mages explained to the dwarves. ¡°We took them from the demon worlds. The demons used them to invade our worlds,¡±
An object of tremendous void magic. It was something all the Delvegardians admired. Many of the crafters often walk around it and keep trying to figure out how it¡¯s made.
Even my crafters had not figured it out, and actually, it made me wonder how did the demons even reach the point of having such powerful technology. Were the demons some kind of technological creation by a powerful being from the past, and the rift gates were also one of their creations?
If so, their creator must have been some kind of truly powerful crafting god.
But no matter, the reason why we placed the rift gate at the heart of these cities was simple.
Alka promised them the glory of war, and we intended to deliver.
Delvegard would face its own demonic attack in a decade or so, but the pathways between the two worlds grew stronger day by day. Our void mages could amplify that connection and travel to the other side.
And so, as a small battalion of the dwarven war machines prepared, the void mages activated the rift gates.
¡°You will be the first Delvegardian dwarves to ever set foot on demonic worlds.¡± Alka encouraged them. ¡°Now, go and fight the demons!¡±
There was a roar from the first dwarven force, and they walked through the rift gates riding their war machines.
The demons on the other side were small, and resembled the hellhounds and dog-headed monsters, and the larger creatures were gigantic versions of these hellhounds and had three heads. They breathed fire, and that fire smashed into the magical shields of the war machines.
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Alka watched, a little amused how out of shape they were. The dwarves panicked, unsure how to fight the demons. The Order stepped in to help calm their nerves briefly, while a few of the Order folks quickly reminded them what they needed to do.
This was the first trip, of many, many more to come. They fought for a while, for what was half a day, and then, the rift gates opened again, this time to bring them back.
Alka gave them a mission to establish a foothold on the demonic world, and the dwarves accepted. Groups of Delvegardian Dwarves from all over the world came together, and somehow formed into cliques, and rather than fight each other for real, Alka merely gave out rewards for those who slaughtered the most demons.
***
¡°Had a good time?¡± Alka smiled at the block master. He was among the first group that rode their war machines to the other side.
¡°No. Not really. It was bad.¡± The Block master conceded, as he reviewed his own performance. ¡°We were out of shape.¡±
Alka nodded. ¡°A lot of room for improvement. Fighting demons is quite different from fighting each other. It¡¯s quite chaotic, and there are many types of demons.¡±
¡°Hah.¡± The former block master looked at Alka. ¡°You seem exceptionally used to this.¡±
¡°Me? Not really. I spent most of my years in a workshop building stuff. It¡¯s only in the recent decades I¡¯ve ventured onto the battlefield.¡±
¡°Recent decades?¡± The Delvegardian looked at Alka, and then Alka undid his disguise, and transformed into his older, usual self.
¡°I¡¯m much older, block master.¡± The domain holder sat with the dwarves as they rested back in their home.
¡°Ah. That explains it. And here I was wondering whether the new generation are truly so impressive.¡±
¡°They are.¡± Alka laughed. ¡°With the regime we put my fellow warriors through, they come out as strong as you within a decade or less.¡±
That was something that was met with an uncomfortable silence.
¡°How are things back in the Yards?¡± The block master asked, as he too decided to redirect the topic of conversation.
¡°Tense. The King and the Yardmaster are still trying to hunt down the culprits. That¡¯s not going so well for them.¡±
¡°Have you not been able to sway them?¡±
¡°No. They tried to kill me.¡± Alka said, and laughed. ¡°At some point, it¡¯s not worth it. I¡¯ve got most of the good people I wanted, and we¡¯ve stolen quite a few of their war machines.¡±
***
Throughout the entire Delvegard, there was a rumor of what¡¯s known as a ¡®mass disappearance¡¯ of alchemists, crafters and mages, along with multiple war machines. Even the Delvegardian Yards saw half of their largest war machines stolen, and most of their void weapons as well. Most of them were swayed by Alka and the Valthorn¡¯s appeal to fight for a better cause.
They referred to it as The Delvegardian Disappearance.
Alka did make an attempt to convince the Forge Master. The disguised form of Alka offered the deal to the Forge Master, and the proud dwarven man attacked him instead for lying. Somehow, he was too proud, or perhaps, he was too high up the pole to see the drawbacks of the society he ruled over.
The order didn¡¯t see the need to continue engaging the kings that refused. Instead, he would continue stealing talent and resources from the Delvegardian nations, and so, the kidnapping would continue.
It caused the entire war economy of Delvegard to grind to a halt. Lords didn¡¯t want to invest in new war machines only for it to be stolen.
***
Alka returned to Delvegardian Yards discreetly, and found it exceptionally quiet.
The place once hummed with the hammering of Sunsteel, the clattering of war machines in battle now seemed like it was abandoned.
There were patrols. Actual, heavy patrols, and many of them started to look at each student as if they were a suspect. The King himself was almost delirious, but the news that almost all workshops were targeted made them feel better. War machines were rigged with spells and artifacts to ensure they could be located. But it was trivially easy to remove them.
Across Delvegard, some cities were badly hit. They lost almost all their war machines and crafters. These were usually towns and cities that had wars in their recent history.
War didn¡¯t leave people happy, and dwarves were often torn between pride, loyalty, and a sense of duty to family and friends. So, the Order now provided a real alternative.
A possibility to live a different way, there was no reason to hold onto that cause, so many of these crafters decided to leave. The Order took everyone who joined them, and their family, and set them up in the various New Delvegardian Cities.
Back in the Yards, Alka¡¯s little spy machines were everywhere, and he found ways to sneak into the doors of many craftsmen and talented men to speak to them.
Each day, Alka convinced a little more to leave.
¡°Another three disappeared today?¡±
As the King turned mad and paranoid, that only pushed more of their valuable crafters towards Alka¡¯s offer. Not every approach was successful, but Alka got better at understanding the types that would fold. For those where he felt it was a little risky, he approached with a disguise.
There were those he approached that did not join him.
Instead, they all confessed to the authorities, and said how they were approached by a strange man, who spoke of joining a war on other worlds, where dwarves do not fight each other, but fight demons.
The King was furious. The King knew, of course. Alka already approached the dwarven royal, but the King ignored his approach.
But his citizens were fascinated. Kings and royalty rarely faced the consequences of their pointless wars. They had the best war machines. The best equipment. The best healers and potions. Fighting for their country was thus seen as a must. A proud thing, a duty. Fights were the dwarven way of proving their strength. No Delvegardian King earned their place on the throne without war, and expansions were glorious things.
An achievement in their rule, turned into stories to be told in taverns and sung around as hymns by drunk dwarves.
The middle and lower class didn¡¯t see it that way, but the world wouldn¡¯t change just because they disagreed. They lacked the means to cause that change, and so the cycle of war perpetuated.
But as the dwarves who rejected the Order¡¯s offer shared their experiences, and explained what was said, rather than inspire horror, instead, it only amplified them.
The promise of the big war came to be known as the ¡®Great War¡¯. An inspiration.
A part of me wondered whether this was a rehashed version of Valhalla and Ragnarok.
Maybe that was why the tales seemed to sell so well. Stories of wars that spanned worlds inspired grandeur and glory in the minds of young impressionable dwarves. Alka¡¯s attempts to kidnap and sway crafters, pilots and alchemists to join the real ¡®Great War¡¯ was like the song and purpose many waited for, and so, throughout Delvegard, many smaller independent movements emerged in support of the disappeared dwarves.
***
¡°The tales grow more crazy by the week.¡± Lord Sundus explained as the tales spread far and wide, and to the smaller Delvegardian towns. Thus far, Alka and the Order¡¯s great kidnapping mainly targeted the large workshops, academies and crafting institutions.
Then, Lord Sundus¡¯s spies reported of a planned execution of a crafter.
The tales of one such craftsman spread so much among the populace that it caused great distress and fear to the ruling class of one of these affected Dwarven City.
The craftsman was decently talented, at around level 50, and because of family concerns he rejected the offer. But somehow, rather than rewarding the crafter for remaining loyal and rejecting the offer, the town¡¯s lord grew increasingly suspicious of his explanations.
¡°This fool is spreading false stories!¡± The Town Lord hauled the crafter dwarf to the Town¡¯s square, and intended to publicly execute him. ¡°There is no Great War out there. These are lies spread by those who deserted their post and town.¡±
The crowd watched in horror as the Town Lord picked up the executioner¡¯s ax. The craftsdwarf was chained to a platform, his dwarven body trapped.
¡°I didn¡¯t lie, town lord! It was real! I really met a man and he told me about this story! He really wanted me to join him!¡±
The Dwarven Lord was frustrated, and turned to his people. ¡°Shut your lying mouth. Now, I intend to set an example for all dwarven crafters everywhere! There is no Great War, and there is no war in the heavens. All these people who joined them are being sold a lie. They are liars! These people were consumed by the very demons that seek to destroy us!¡±
The people listened in fear. The crafter struggled and wept. ¡°My lord! I did not lie! I have chosen to remain in the town out of loyalty to you, my lord! Please, do not punish me for my loyalty!¡±
But the Dwarven Lord did not buy it. ¡°Speak no more, liar. These evil words merely convinced the town folks of your lie. There is no great war. This is all a plot to weaken us all!¡±
He lifted the ax, and then, a voice boomed in the entire town plaza. Somehow, the Town Lord found himself unable to move. A kind of paralysis or stasis magic had locked everyone in place.
¡°Crafter. If you are given a choice again, would you choose differently?¡± The voice asked.
The crafter stared at the Town Lord¡¯s ax. There, on the execution platform, surrounded by a crowd of spectators, the choice was clear. Anything else was death. In the Dwarven Lord¡¯s eyes was madness. Paranoia. Fear.
His loyalty was not rewarded. And so he chose differently. ¡°Yes. Yes! I will join the great war!¡±
The Dwarven Lord struggled against the magic that bound him, and by sheer will, the dwarven lord broke free of the magical bindings He quickly swung his ax downwards, towards the crafter¡¯s neck. ¡°Shut your lying mouth!¡±
The ax came down with force, a dwarven lord¡¯s strength behind it, and instead it smashed into the wooden platform. But the crafter had vanished. Instead, they saw the remnant swirl of a teleportation portal.
The Town Lord looked around in shock. He blinked, before he screamed. ¡°Guards! They must be around here! Find them!¡±
A roar erupted in the plaza. The Dwarven Lord¡¯s guards and soldiers scrambled and searched the plaza. They found nothing.
The spectating crowd were frozen, but they talked. The rumors raged like an inferno, and throughout the world, more Delvegardians saw how the ruling class was weakened by the severe disappearance of their crafters and their war machines.
***
Delvegard¡¯s Demonic World - Darkgard
One of the great benefits of the dwarven crafters was that they were all skilled builders, and they could easily work with whatever materials available to them. On the demonic world that was linked to Delvegard, which we now referred to as Darkgard, the dwarves were quick to build fortifications from natural rocks, stone and steel.
Darkgard¡¯s demons would invade Delvegard in a decade or two, and they were sold on a dream. A mission to stop the demons before they reach Delvegard.
The Order could handle it for them, but the dwarves would not learn. An easy win would not satisfy their inherent need for challenge and a well-earned victory.
Materials were shipped through the rift gates, and it was hard work.
But the Delvegardian dwarves were an industrial bunch, and found joy in work. There was a palpable sense of excitement in them, as dwarves from all over Delvegard now united to attack the demon world.
Once the loyalties and capabilities of these war machines are decently tested, we would start incorporating the weapons of Treehome. We have a range of weapons such as our anti-magic weaponry, our own set of crystal based weapons and wood-based weapons that could enhance their anti-demonic capabilities.
313. The Dangers of Zealotree
313
Year 282
Shasan. The Land of Switching Sands and Seas
Lumoof dropped in and watched Emperor Erranuel¡¯s men work. The Emperor and his group of followers had quickly fought with some local rulers, taken control of one of the towns, and declared it as the new Hawa Capital of Shasan. He had even styled it the Holy City of Hawa.
They¡¯d worked quickly to gain one town. It was their first year on a foreign world, and for them, they did not have the systems or processes on how to set up a new outpost on another world. Interestingly, we found both Michael of Museo and Olivia of Olpash, both on Shasan.
¡°It¡¯s interesting that both of you are here.¡± Lumoof smiled as he visited the Emperor¡¯s new office. The void mage that helped send them here did provide a list of people he had transported over, but Lumoof thought it strange and wanted to see for himself.
¡°It is only right that we stand to support our fellow brother in faith in his quest to expand Hawa¡¯s reach.¡± Michael answered.
¡°That is so, that is so. How have you found the experience so far?¡±
¡°Different.¡± Olivia answered. ¡°The people of this world seem unsure of their faith, as if Hawa does not exist to them.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t blame them. Hawa really doesn¡¯t exist here. I¡¯m sure you have noticed when you attempt to tap into your god¡¯s power.¡±
Olivia frowned. There is an imprint that exists in the system, and priests can tap into that. But that connection is stronger in worlds where the god¡¯s presence is stronger. By the same measure, Hoyia and my other priest¡¯s connection to me is stronger in worlds where I have a node, and weaker in worlds where I have none. But not defenseless, because they can also tap into the system, and the system is everywhere. It was quite like connecting through a rootnet, versus speaking through [message].
¡°We both intend to spread Hawa¡¯s faith, and strengthen Hawa¡¯s presence. In time, this drawback will fade.¡± Michael supported his compatriot.
¡°Then good luck with that.¡±
I wondered whether Michael and Olivia would find a weakness in the Shasanian¡¯s psyche and tap into a vulnerability in their hearts. If they could, maybe they would be able to sweep through Shasan like Hoyia as well.
***
Twinspace
The new converts were zealots. Those new to the faith were driven and eager to prove their faith, and it was frightening. Did I really want to use this power?
That was something I asked myself as I watched the Treeology priests whip the population of about ten towns into something not too different from a passionate bunch of looters. The promise of a bountiful land, salvation from their current suffering, and the gospel of prosperity made me think of my own interactions of similar religious institutions. Was this what I had in mind?
The town lord stood obediently as Matriarch Hoyia took the stand, and she swayed even more nobles to her side.
¡°Matriarch Hoyia, the King now wants to raise an army against us!¡± A passionate zealot reported. A convert. Spies. It was surreal that Hoyia had built an entirely new structure of zealots centered around her and her closest advisors.
Johann and Roon stared at each other and even asked her. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t use some kind of mind control on them?¡±
Hoyia chuckled at the domain holder¡¯s suggestion, but Twinspace¡¯s expansion would be led by Hoyia, just like how Lausanne controlled Magisar. We needed to give the level 140s greater responsibilities and hopefully push them towards a domain. ¡°Oh not at all. They believe in the promise. A crusade. A cause. Now this is the moment we must guide the fire.¡±
¡°We¡¯re playing with fire.¡± Johann observed. ¡°This could very easily turn against us.¡±
¡°Oh, it can. Which is why we must tend to it carefully, feed it. And clamp down on those who do not fit in our faith.¡± Hoyia said as she heard the reports from the various zealots. ¡°If the King wants an army to fight us, then we will have one. Now, my fellow faithful of Aeon, we have nothing to fear! What do we, those gifted and blessed by Aeon itself, have to fear from these faithless men?¡±
Johann and Roon were a little uncomfortable. ¡°I think using priests offensively might be a mistake.¡±
But it¡¯s effectiveness was incredible. The various nations of Twinspace were dumbfounded by how quickly the Temple of Aeon spread, and how these priests of Aeon appeared out of nowhere and converted thousands in mere weeks. Some Kings immediately launched purges against Aeonic believers, which somehow only emboldened those faithful that they were right.
¡°They fear us because we are right!¡± Hoyia roared in a fiery sermon to the new zealots, as she recited a verse from an invented book of Aeon. ¡°Even in Aeon¡¯s homeworld, there are those who do not believe. And just like us today, those faithless men waged not one, but two crusades against Aeon! But we do not fear them, because just like Aeon, we will prevail. They attacked us. They will stop us from trading. But they will eventually give in. Because they lack faith!¡±
The crowds everywhere bought it, and the fires of zealotry formed into an army, an army Hoyia called ¡®The Defenders of the Faith.¡¯
Twinspace was no stranger to occult faiths. Over the centuries, there had been many charismatic individuals, who had used their powers of persuasion to create a cult. The difference between a cult and a faith was thin, and the only difference was whether a faith had a link to real power.
¡°I feel bad that we are manipulating them into this shit.¡± Johann admitted to Hoyia after the sermon.
¡°But what is the alternative? A status quo where they are aimless, purposeless, and do not contribute to the security of the realm?¡± Hoyia said. ¡°Not all people have the same potential to rise and think for themselves. But that doesn¡¯t mean they cannot contribute. With faith, we can tell them what to do.¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t far off from what the White Statue is doing.¡± Johann said.
¡°Oh. I was actually inspired by what the White Statue did and believe that Aeon can do it too. It is why we should. The masses of Twinspace and its massive population are wasted in their current state. Reproducing in large quantities but not amounting to much. The wider worlds would benefit from their increased productivity. It isn¡¯t really that different from what Alka did on Delvegard. I am giving them a purpose, packaged in the form of faith, and they have accepted it into their hearts and minds.¡±
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¡°Damn.¡± Johann said. ¡°I still think it¡¯ll bite us in the back someday.¡±
¡°Consequences that Aeon can deal with.¡± Hoyia smiled sweetly. ¡°You should head over to your dragonworlds and get back to work. We¡¯ll need an army of drakes and dragons.¡±
***
Religious ceremonies were common throughout Treehome and Branchhold, and often they were used to provide small scale blessings that lasted a long time. A blessing to a young child to grow up healthy, a blessing to somehow recover from injuries, a blessing for clarity when studying, and so on.
The power of a priest was mainly manifested through [blessings]. They could replicate the blessings of their patron god, often to a lesser degree. A power of the [system].
It was the equivalent of tapping into the system¡¯s concept, that an entity like Aeon exists.
My general conceptual understanding is that a person¡¯s faith, a person¡¯s soul, these are the two things that power the [system] as a whole. The World Faith System, this offshoot and variant of the existing system, merely tapped into that faith directly, rather than through the entire system as an intermediary.
An army, raised by a threatened neighboring King, marched on the converted Towns, and the Towns raised an army to match them. Though there were actual soldiers among them, in the end, it was mainly an army of peasants armed with sticks and simple tools that walked to the field of battle.
Hoyia could¡¯ve called on the Order to act. But she didn¡¯t. A part of me thought this was crazy, but then, Matriarch Hoyia, as the lead Valthorn member of the Twinspace expedition, had full decision making authority.
As the worlds grow, I must delegate. And I must allow them to make mistakes.
I could feel Hoyia¡¯s loyalty, and I knew she did not doubt.
¡°Sacrifice. Participation. They are all necessary for real faith. To experience fear, and to be saved.¡± She said gently, as there were about ten other lower leveled priests around her. She held in her hand, a broken branch that she collected from my main body.
The opposing army was thirty thousand strong and comprised mainly of actual soldiers. The converted zealot army was about the same size, but only a third of it were actual soldiers.
Hoyia watched and prepared a ritual. Over the decades, the Treeology priests developed rituals and abilities, and they were most effective on the weakest segments of society. A blessing was an additional wind of strength behind an already strong warrior, but for the weakest soldiers, it was transformative.
The priests began to sing. A hymn. A chant. A call on me. A call on the system. A prayer to me. A prayer to Edna. If Edna was here to witness it, maybe she would feel crazy embarrassed about it.
Yet Hoyia could say it with a straight face. With full faith. Commitment. Seriousness. Perhaps it is the nature of priests in our world, that they must believe in those that are their friends. Their reporting officers. And the stick vibrated with holy power. A priest tapped into the system, and through the system, it channeled a memory of my power.
¡°Charge!¡± The enemy general roared. ¡°Slay these heretics! Slay those who seek to venture to the demon continent and go against our old traditions!¡±
The generals activated a range of abilities that supported their army. The peasant army looked afraid, but there were a few generals who converted over to Hoyia¡¯s faith, and they too activated skills to counter the enemy general¡¯s abilities.
But Hoyia had planned this. The priests wanted this. In a way, manipulative.
¡°Don¡¯t let them get too close.¡± Hoyia said to the generals. She could¡¯ve started the blessing earlier. ¡°Protect us as we call on the powers of Aeon.¡±
The zealots immediately shouted in defiance. ¡°Protect the matriarch!¡±
It was not necessary. An army of 30,000 couldn¡¯t get past Matriarch Hoyia¡¯s shields even if they all attacked together. The two armies met. Blood stained the fields as the peasant army struggled to hold back the forces of the enemy.
She wanted this.
She was prepared to let some of them die.
She wanted the peasants to feel they contributed.
She wanted their devotion. She wanted them to truly buy in. She wanted them to put their lives on the line, and feel rewarded for it.
She dragged it on slightly, fully aware of what was happening. Was it really necessary to convert people to the faith this way?
But I must trust my generals. She waited, as the enemy army, a group of heavily armed cavalry, forced through the zealot¡¯s defensive lines. They were getting nearer.
¡°Matriarch Hoyia, you must retreat. They are getting nearer!¡± The zealot general said, eager to protect the leader of the faith.
¡°No.¡± Hoyia said. She feared nothing, her acting perfectly on point. ¡°There is nothing to fear when we are right.¡±
At this distance, the enemy cavalry roared. They could even hear them curse her. ¡°Charge! Let¡¯s grab that succubus¡¯s head! Kill her and destroy this heretic cult!¡±
Hoyia smiled. The zealots on her side tried their best to protect her. ¡°Protect the matriarch!¡± They roared, and a few of her loyalists died, as the enemy¡¯s spear pierced through their flesh.
¡°Let it be known that I do not fear them.¡± Hoyia commanded, her voice somehow could be heard everywhere. It was a priestly ability to give sermons even to a large army. ¡°Zealots of Aeon! Your faith will be rewarded!¡± She finally triggered the blessings she dragged forever. It was a form of dramatic timing. To make it seem as if it was a perilous battle with real danger.
The enemy¡¯s army wanted to punch through the defending zealots, and claim their heads.
Then, a large-scale blessing spread throughout the army of peasants and soldiers. The zealots suddenly felt a surge of strength. For those under level 30, this surge felt like it added a good fifteen levels to their strength. For those under level 50, it still was a respectable ten levels of extra strength.
The enemy cavalry¡¯s charge slammed into a wall of magic. ¡°There is nothing to fear.¡± Hoyia roared. ¡°Our god has answered our prayers! Crush them all!¡± The blessed army turned into a frenzy, as the sudden surge in strength heavily flipped the balance.
The war that the zealots should¡¯ve lost on paper, turned into a decisive victory. Then Hoyia fanned the flames of fear as she held the heads of the slain enemy generals and declared to a listening army of peasants and soldiers.
¡°My fellow zealots, our cause is true. They will claim we are heretics. They will claim we are evil. They will claim everything is wrong. But are we afraid?¡±
Amplified by the moment. The death. The slaughter. The adrenaline and high of a victory. They roared and answered their shepherd. The peasants and soldiers present all roared ¡°NO!¡± as I somehow sensed many of them experienced a conversion of their classes.
At least a thousand of those present gained an [Aeonic] class variant that day, because I could suddenly feel the presence of many new believers. Hoyia turned the army of zealots into an army that would put their life on the line for her. They would cut their flesh off, sever their limbs and kill their family if she asked.
I watched in equal parts awe and horror.
The Order, traditionally, used faith defensively. On Treehome, on Branchhold, and on Threeworlds, my faith had so far been to maintain order in my controlled territories, to ensure loyalty among my subjects, and to support our domestic policies.
This was because of the faith¡¯s origins. We initially used the faith to counter the four temples of Hawa, Gaya, Neira and Aiva¡¯s crusade, so we needed agents on our side.
Hoyia turned that faith into a weapon.
A tool to turn the masses into my subjects. She crafted a bloody war where thousands died, to convert those who survived into an army of true zealots.
***
¡°Can we reconcile this?¡± Centrally, on Treehome, my Lords and administrators wondered how to reconcile the different directions taken by various arms of the Order.
On Delvegard, we went through appealing to the dwarven pride, loyalty to their kind, and a desire for war. On Magisar, we inadvertently used fear and overwhelming power. On Landas, we rescued the people and won their loyalty. Now, on Twinspace, Hoyia¡¯s direction took them towards religious fervor.
These were all different ways of creating loyalty, and my followers from each of this world would view me differently.
The strength we need to take the war back to the demons will need all kinds of strength, from all over the multiple worlds. A part of me suspects that this cobbled order will fracture when the demons are finally destroyed. At least, at the lower parts of society.
But another part of me found it beautiful.
It is the part that found beauty in chaos. That it is only normal for loyalty and faith to take many different forms.
This messy, incompatible nature of everything is perfectly natural.
314. Divinitree
314
Year 283
Hoyia was the voice of god in the eyes of men, and when she spoke the people listened, entranced. It was as if she held their hearts and wielded the masses as her limbs. The first victory sparked fear. An army that gained levels from battle, even if it was from the blessings of a higher power, was a threat. Each victory added to their strength, and the nations of Twinspace feared her rise.
Assassins were sent her way, but just as if to prove her divinity, she allowed an assassin to stab her with poisons while she gave a sermon to the masses.
The power of Aeon flowed through her, and through it, there was no poison that could match the Tree God¡¯s restorative powers. Each attempt on her life only magnified her position amongst the eager believers. Miracles entrenched her place, and her powers, even if they were executed through the might of the Order¡¯s machinery, only made her seem more godly.
Hoyia and her group of priests traveled from city to city, preaching along the way. An army walked with her, but cities that received her had already lost the moment she was allowed through the doors. It meant their propaganda had spread so strongly that a city wanted her there. It meant the populace wanted to see god in the flesh, merely to confirm what already lingered in their minds. Faith was insidious as the stories spread they turned into a thought in the hearts of regular folk. And when that thought was confirmed with acts that seemed miraculous, that thought turned into faith. Loyalty. Zealotry.
Armies rose at the sound of her voice. Hoyia spoke with the weight of the Order.
¡°I feel like we as domain holders are thoroughly outclassed by how Hoyia¡¯s just bulldozing through the resistance.¡± Roon watched in a fair bit of amusement.
¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The power of priests is more effective in such places. Dense and unhappy. Radicalization is often a response to a perceived oppression, and this world has always had the ingredients for such a cultish explosion.¡±
The reason why Treehome hadn¡¯t experienced a surge in cultish behavior was because the old [Lords] and [Kings] had powers that tipped the balance of power. A world with a [system] was inherently unequal, and it was in favor of those on top.
A cult movement from the grassroots, comprising a mass of peasants and serfs, would never be able to overpower the might of even mid-leveled [Lords] and [Kings] and their higher leveled soldiers. It is why feudalism persisted despite centuries or millennia of civilization. I wondered whether Lumoof and Kafa felt it subconsciously, that this world was ready and that¡¯s why they felt so strongly about it.
Just like Delvegard was receptive to a Ragnarok-type mythology, Twinspace¡¯s population was sold on the promised land.
***
The nearby nations raised four more armies, but as expected, Hoyia crushed them, and her army of zealots gained levels along the way. Her stronger army of loyalists was good for us. They added to our strength. Yet, a part of me felt it was so wasteful.
Unlike Delvegard where the amount of blood actually shed was minimal, Hoyia decided to use the other nations refusal to join and convert to the faith, and their subsequent declarations of war, as a way to hone her men and solidify their loyalty.
There was camaraderie in fighting together. Friendship forged on the battlefield. Loyalty and awe earned by achieving greatness together.
It was her tool, her weapon, and she took the playbook straight out of our own history.
Our past.
Freshka¡¯s expansion became the inspiration for her war, and her small council of priests worked extra hard to produce propaganda. That era, when we came to take over the Central Continent about one to two centuries ago came to be referred to as the First Aeonic Revolution.
Propaganda was the whip, the masses her workhorses. This was Hoyia¡¯s moment.
***
Her army of zealots came to be known as the Undefeated Army as more and more zealots were sucked into the cult of the tree. Merchants carried the propaganda far and wide, and the constant string of victories amplified the insecurities of even faraway nations.
In just two years, she had managed to gain control of a quarter of the overpopulated continent. Kings and Lords surrendered quickly, many overwhelmed by her zealots. Some Kings and Lords were dragged out to the streets by bloodthirsty zealots, captured and treated as criminals.
The strength of Hoyia¡¯s followers grew with each successful expedition, and soon she was surrounded and supported by a fairly large number of level 50 to 60 individuals native to Twinspace.
Hoyia doled out special blessings to those who acted as her champions. Generals, Captains, Administrators, Lords, and even Kings.
Further away, Hoyia was referred to by those against their expansion as the Temptress of Aeon. Seductress. Succubus. The false prophet of a false god. It was really familiar. I remember being accused in a similar manner, and it was partly why Treeology priests emerged. Back then, I did it out of spite. If the four temples accused me as a false god, I might as well live up to my name and build a faith around me.
Parallels.
In life. In time.
My past struggles with the first crusades was now her inspiration to start a new crusade.
Life is surely fond of rhymes, even if the verses and words change.
***
Caval
Ebon and Edna decided to take a leaf out of Alka¡¯s experience, and both decided to try a hand at the art of making swords, the Caval way. The creation of these descendant swords on Caval was a spiritual affair, and surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t really that hard to walk up to one of these swordsmiths and ask.
Though the actual access to the hero swords itself was heavily guarded and the actual master sword smiths were treated as a member of the faiths of Caval, most individuals were granted fairly easy access to learn the basics.
¡°They teach everyone.¡± Ebon listened to a fairly drunk apprentice. ¡°They say they never know who actually has the art of whispering to the sword, to create weapons that the world hasn¡¯t seen before.¡±
In the larger cities of Caval, the great hero swords and the knights were given titles, and they were often known as the inheritors of the descendant blades. The swords themselves did not choose their masters and so the best weapons were in the hands of the Kings and Lords.
But descendant swords ultimately lost their blessings, and so, the great Kings and Lords perpetually needed to replenish their treasury with new blades. But the priest-smiths struggled to forge better blades than what they¡¯d already made.
For Edna and Ebon, the basic courses in making these descendant blades were pretty much standard steelworking, but with an additional step of prayers. The temples and all the priest-smiths advocated praying extensively and creating altars in the workspace itself to encourage ¡®holy¡¯ weapons.
It was an affair so deeply intertwined with superstition and unusual traditions that didn¡¯t really lead anywhere, that the two generally concluded that the Caval swordsmiths were pretty much attacking the issue with mainly luck. Each city essentially built their own superstitions on what worked, but because there was no attempt to share how descendant weapons were made, the locals didn¡¯t really know what worked and what didn¡¯t. Most assumed their current methods worked well.
For Ebon and Edna, they were both already highly leveled, but making weapons was not their strength. So, Edna approached the former hero companion of Caval, Shuwan, and asked her to accompany them in their journey throughout Caval.
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The former hero companion Shuwan had a whole list of superstitions of what to do and copying them didn¡¯t seem to work.
Edna wanted to somehow replicate a large quantity of these hero descendant swords and hopefully use it as an alternative means of creating strong weapons. The knights of Caval were also a decently leveled force.
¡°Actually.¡± Ebon stopped Edna about a year into their exploration. ¡°I¡¯m starting to have second thoughts about the merits of this world.¡±
¡°Really? Elaborate them.¡± Edna said. Edna believed that having a wider variety of weapons was helpful.
¡°Caval is a strong world thanks to the presence of the descendant swords and highly leveled knights, but outside of the growing hero weapon, I think I¡¯ve exhausted any potential avenues to any improvements here.¡± Ebon said. ¡°I recommend swapping for a group of high level blacksmiths to learn the local¡¯s way of making these hero descendant weapons and then opening a recruitment center to recruit talented squires who were passed on from receiving their hero swords.¡±
Edna thought about it for a few days and realized Ebon was right. Caval¡¯s knights had overlap with Edna¡¯s own knight-boosting abilities, but ultimately, it wasn¡¯t all that different.
Then the demonic invasion occurred. Demonic rifts opened by the hundreds across the vast uninhabited lands around Caval, and we saw the various Caval¡¯s knights in action.
They handled it well, with the senior knights all about level 80 or so,and augmented with powerful descendant swords, it gave the senior knights the ability to match up with the demon champions and win. We did notice one area where they were weak.
Armor.
The hero swords and their descendant swords gave their users tremendous offensive power, but the knights were frail, relying solely on their levels and what little armor they had. Even the swordsmith-priests focused primarily on creating new swords, and so, the development of physical armor for their knights was still fairly basic.
They had metal armor, plate armor, and all that sort, sufficient for regular non-magic combat, but once their opponents were demonic champions with elemental abilities, the knights died very quickly. This meant the knights themselves and squires would often run into the battlefield itself and try to get hold of the fallen descendant blades.
For Cavalians, there was a myth that descendant blades significantly boost their level gains.
But for Edna and Ebon, the demonic attack was the best time to get their hands on a descendant blade for their own studies.
They retrieved two such descendant blades from fallen knights and brought it to a lab for studies.
***
¡°Took you guys long enough to get one.¡± The mages and smiths joked as they quickly got hold of one. The two descendant blades were brought to a makeshift laboratory located in the mountains. Caval was a relatively large world with vast uninhabited lands, as the cities¡¯ clustered around old hero swords. So, there was plenty of space for a temporary site or even a node tree.
¡°We don¡¯t steal. Not where we can help it.¡± The Aeonic knight answered.
¡°Should¡¯ve just sent some spies or thieves and be done with it. But never mind, let¡¯s look at this.¡±
With a descendant blade in our hands, we were finally able to dissect their components. It took the mages and smiths a few weeks, but eventually we had a single point of reference.
The descendant blades were actually similar to my [familiars]. They were offshoots of the main hero sword, and each of the blades contained a single mote that linked the descendant blades to their main blade. In fact, it was even possible for someone with star mana to trace the connection to its parent blade.
Like familiars, they could gain strength over time, because even my familiars were able to accumulate levels, though they were capped at a fairly low level. For my Valtrian Order operatives, this meant my familiars were always this additional source of strength since each familiar had skills they could tap into.
The discovery of the Artificial Souls and later the Titans, had increased the level cap much further.
That partly explained the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of the creation of the descendant blades.
It needed a ceremony. A ¡®contract¡¯.
It was also likely that each city had their own different superstition because familiar contracts varied widely. A familiar from Aeon had different requirements as compared to a familiar from the Lillies of the Lake or Aria and Aispeng of the frozen islands.
¡°So how do we exploit this?¡± The mages wondered to himself as they tinkered with the descendant blade. ¡°We should get a hero from our world here and see what it does. A hero should be able to form a direct connection with the hero swords, even if they are not from Caval.¡±
It could also mess with the current native city¡¯s defenses. Right now, every town and city relied on their hero swords to ensure that they were protected.
¡°Everything is finely balanced at this point.¡± Ebon said. ¡°I believe we should leave it as it is. Just keep recruiting, while we independently figure out how to exploit these descendant swords. It does make me wonder whether we could have multiple such swords at the same time.¡±
¡°I believe not. Ten level 30 to 50 familiars are still not much use compared to a single level 100.¡± Edna said, ¡°For the Order, at its current state, it is likely not too useful.¡±
The mage interjected. ¡°But there are Titan-class familiars, even if Aeon hasn¡¯t used it yet. These hero swords are an alternative path to achieve that. That said, its heroic origin may mean there are differences in its level cap that we do not yet fully understand.¡±
¡°But can we tell what level these weapons are? Or are they user specific?¡± Edna asked.
¡°Conventional [appraise] and [inspect] doesn¡¯t seem to indicate much information, but perhaps something powered by star mana could pierce through its heroic origins to tell us what it is.¡± The mage-researcher speculated.
¡°So we need the heroes here.¡± Edna frowned. ¡°Let me get this cleared with the rest of the domain holders, and we¡¯ll revisit this issue. For now, let¡¯s do as Ebon intended and have some blacksmiths and recruitment offices set up.¡±
***
¡°Aeon, there are two things I¡¯d like to have to improve our expansion on Twinspace. One, please bestow on us a special weapon. A divine relic, so to speak. One that contains your presence and aura to the extent possible. A staff, or a weapon that feels as if it is divinity encased in a weapon. Two, I¡¯d like to request for a Titan to be deployed on Twinspace, as part of a ritual spectacle. Make it seem as if it is a summon.¡± Hoyia made a request.
¡°Is there a need for that?¡± I countered. ¡°Just say it is your petition to me, and I answered your call.¡±
¡°Spectacle and ceremony is important, Aeon. It is rituals to cement faith as something real, something part of their lives, something that they can then say they are a part of.¡±
¡°Very well. Which Titan?¡±
***
Forging an item that represented my being was a harder task than I initially expected, as the first few items I made through my normal growing process were decent, but not at the level that my operatives wanted.
Hoyia¡¯s request required an item that would be a relic. A holy object that is revered, and prayed to.
So, with Patreeck¡¯s help, I went through all the items I¡¯ve seen so far, and narrowed it down to only the ones from Hawa on his core world of Satrya and Lillies¡¯ death staff, felt like divine items, or close to divine items.
¡°[Soul Forge] feels like a good place to start. Or the Titans.¡±
A titan in a weapon was a little bit strange and even if the titan-in-a-weapon would be very powerful, I doubt it would be a ¡®holy¡¯ object. I still felt titans and artificial souls as less complete souls, and it didn¡¯t fit the idea of a holy object.
So, [soul forge] it is.
I then spoke to Lillies on how to create such an object.
¡°It is not hard. One merely needs to cut off one¡¯s self, and shape it into something else.¡± Lilies answered. ¡°It is like making seedlings. You should soak it, tie up its loose ends. Our bodies all contain a little bit of us. Our things, too. When they are separated from us, what¡¯s left of us within those things decay, but you can stop it.¡±
Lilies¡¯ answer was not too clear, but I suppose that was a way to start.
Lumoof naturally walked to one of my big branches and snapped one of my larger branches. It was a gigantic segment, and I felt a tiny bit of pain when he broke it off. He then immediately carried it over to my [soul forge], and threw it into the gigantic lightning-struck tree.
My broken branch was somehow transported into that soul space, where then, I could see what Lillies spoke of.
Fraying ends, strands within the branch that were quickly decaying. It was as if I stared at a bundle of rope, and now, the little threads that made up the rope were rapidly untangling. Left alone, there will be nothing left of my soul.
With my [soul forge], it was fairly easy for me to reach out into the branch and meddle with it.
It was then that I realized the branch was malleable. As long as I reshaped the remnants of my soul within, here in the spiritual paste of the soul forge, the wood would follow whatever shape its ¡®spirit¡¯ took.
Over long periods of time, the soul is like a slow flowing liquid and takes the shape of its container. It remembers an image of its body. But in the short term, the body takes after and is guided by the soul. Healing, growth, all of that is the will of the soul and its soul spring.
I reached into the store of soul remnants I¡¯ve collected over the centuries and stitched some of that soul remnants into the freshly broken branch. I meddled into the remaining spirit, and I could insert ¡®skill seeds¡¯ just like how crafter¡¯s blessed their weapons.
Interestingly enough, because this was forged from a broken piece of me, the spirit of the branch could hold a few of my own non-domain skills. A true copy linked to my power, a bit like a crystal that¡¯s used to store spells and abilities.
Since Hoyia intended for this to be a weapon of some sort, I added my root strike ability, [Fields of Death], [Demonic Suppression Aura] and some poison abilities. I could feel this branch as if it was still a part of me, and realized I probably could not make too many. These ¡®isolated¡¯ spiritual fragments of me were linked to me, and overuse would be a possible drain on my own existence.
After what felt like two to three months of experimenting, Hoyia finally had an object worthy of a holy relic.
The [Greatstaff of Aeon¡¯s Fury] was finally ready to be wielded, and next year, it was finally time to launch the first sea expedition to the demonic continent of Twinspace.
315. The Onion Layers
Year 284
Twinspace.
The shipyards and drydocks of Port Tarfa were almost entirely new, and yet in the past six months, the twenty new shipyards each made a new warship every month. Each warship was able to ferry 100 to 150 battle ready warriors, along with all the new supplies. The warships were modifications of an existing design, aided by a few of the Order¡¯s shipwrights.
The new yards, piers, drydocks, and structures made Port Tarfa the single largest port on this side of the main inhabited continent of Twinspace. The first of many more to come, but the first 30 or so warships would set sail for the islands located along the path would form the First Exploratory Fleet, while the remaining ships would undergo more preparations.
They would set sail for the string of smaller islands that existed between the two continents and reclaim the string of volcanic islands from their native monsters. The fleet would then spend some time there and build those islands up, if they found a suitable location, and transform them into one of Aeon¡¯s outposts.
The sea-facing frontage of the port city was crowded, as tens of thousands wanted to watch the great sendoff.
Three sea commanders would receive blessings today, from Hoyia herself, and through Hoyia, they would all receive a [Class Seed]. The [War Admiral] class would elevate their existing [Captain] variant classes and make them more effective for their assigned mission.
On the largest pier Hoyia stood on a platform specially constructed for her, as she revealed her relic for the first time. Even if it was just a fragment, a fragment of god was still a fragment of god.
The entire city could feel it as Hoyia channeled her priestly powers and stood in front of the three seafarers. She commanded them to consume the class seed, encased and fused into a fruit. The priests began to sing, and the three dug in and ate the fruit, unsure of why they were told to do so. But it was then that all three of them felt their classes change.
The surprise in their eyes was all the answer anyone needed. They were chosen as they were part of the loyalists. One of them was probably a skeptical believer, while the other two were zealots.
The true zealots wept openly as they felt their [Captain] classes evolve, and they openly praised their god. They screamed, and one of them turned to face his ship.
¡°Sailors, warriors! Today we are blessed. Today he has made me an [Admiral]. And today, we set sail for the cursed continent and drive away the demons!¡±
The crowds went wild, and the rumors flew.
¡°Did you hear that? The Captain has an [Admiral] class!¡± Merchants said as the stories spread.
¡°This god claims to have the ability to evolve our classes?¡± The tales began to spread. They were whispered in the taverns and crowded inns of Twinspace. Rumors regurgitated by merchants as they walked the busy trading routes.
¡°I saw it happen!¡± The merchant answered. ¡°I was there at Port Tarfa, and I couldn¡¯t believe it! It¡¯s real!¡±
¡°You know there are abilities that can deceive your eyes!¡± The other merchant was skeptical.
¡°But the Saintess Hoyia, I cannot imagine it. If you¡¯ve seen her you will know!¡±
¡°You¡¯re really smitten with that woman.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve just never seen her.¡±
***
Back on the main continent of Twinspace, Hoyia continued to add more cities and nations into her growing Holy Empire, where she and her high council of priests existed as a ruling cabal.
A holy empire, and again, in another year, she now controlled half of the Continent. The other half raised an army against her and promised to brutally slaughter anyone who spread her dangerous ideology.
But they couldn¡¯t stop ideas whispered secretly. Kings and Lords themselves met Hoyia and found themselves impressed by her presence, some charmed, some smitten. The competition for her attention only drove up the desire to prove their use.
Her army grew, and her priests continued to spread. Hoyia had to call on a few of her peers back from the School of Treeology to set up a small school in Twinspace to train the next generation of priests and to continue carrying the ideology to even more places.
***
Meanwhile, the journey to the islands took about three months, and the ships were about a third of the way to the cursed continent.
The three newly promoted [Admirals] crushed the monsters along the path easily. The sailors and soldiers they brought were all around level 25 to 40, but the presence of a few Order operatives and priests ensured that victory was all but ensured.
The archipelago was located somewhere close to the middle of the ocean. The ocean that separated the two large continents was generally known as the middle Ocean. The islands of the archipelago emerged from the oceans from layers and layers of underwater vegetation and corals. So, the surface of the island itself wasn¡¯t sand, but instead, small, disintegrated chunks of corals and other forms of decayed vegetation.
The largest of these had risen over the years into a small hill. It didn¡¯t have regular trees found on the main continent, instead, a land-adapted variant of the underwater corals were the primary form of vegetation on the largest islands.
An actual forest of land-based corals made for an island filled with bright colors and unusual shapes.
It was fascinating, and the few priests quickly ordered that samples be collected for further study. The place itself was magically quite dense, and so the monsters that spawned in the area were magically strong.
In a different world, this unique place would likely be preserved as some kind of national park or place of interest.
¡°We could raise the earth and create artificial islands, like we did on Treehome.¡± One of the priests suggested to Hoyia. ¡°It may not be necessary to tamper with the surreal beauty of this island just yet. Aeon would prefer to have such beauty remain untouched, as we did on the other worlds.¡±
Hoyia thought about it and realized raising the earth in a place where the seabed isn¡¯t so deep was feasible.
So, a few Valthorn Earth mages warped in and found a patch that wasn¡¯t that deep. The unique corals were quite spread out, untouched for centuries if not millennia because no one actually came here, and so, we selected a patch of soil and raised it up to serve as an outpost. We would need it in the future to supply ships and patrol the seas.
The artificial island amazed the sailors, but they had to quickly get to work. The druids and mages quickly used magic to form structures, and the few builders also got to work setting up housing.
The artificial island would be sufficient to house about 10,000 people once fully developed, but for now, all it needed to do was to provide anchor and shelter for the 30 ships.
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***
Void Layers
Stella and Lumoof
Meanwhile, Stella and Lumoof took the opportunity to revisit the void layers, and we returned to find a place different from what we visited originally
¡°This place looks different.¡±
¡°I thought we went to the same place.¡± Stella double checked her magical calculations. ¡°Strange.¡±
¡°I¡¯m guessing our rules and magic don¡¯t apply anymore?¡± Lumoof laughed as the pair wandered around the different places. The realm around us twisted before our eyes. The skies twisted, as if changing to be the land, and the land became the skies. There were rivers of color that seemed to stretch, and then later compress into veins that flowed in the sky.
Stella looked around. ¡°Was it like this the last time we¡¯re here?¡±
Lumoof shrugged, as he began to walk. Though he walked forward, somehow he went upwards, as if the reality itself shifted him higher.
Stella blinked, a little amused to watch Lumoof float upwards entirely caused by the world itself reacting to his movements.
But just as suddenly, it stopped, and then he walked forward normally again. That made Lumoof stop, take a step forward and find himself moving normally.
¡°Wild.¡± Lumoof said. Through our senses, it was hard to know what was changing, but we could feel it was. Our domains could assert our hold on the realm, but it was like trying to hold sand. A wave would just wash it away.
Lesser beings, those who were not protected by the domain, or close to it, might experience rapid deconstruction.
The last time we came to the void layers, we left a small artifact here, which we hoped to use to measure the void layers and what it was. The small artifact would collect magical readings and record it within a set of crystals located within.
We couldn¡¯t find it at first, until we suddenly recognized a massive, unusual object that was warped beyond its original shape. It was twisted, and transformed into a gigantic crystal filled with strange twists and turns to its shape. It was as if the crystal was a living octopus.
The only thing that made us realize it was the artifact we left behind, was the small logo carved onto its being. The twisted object lunged at him, clearly corrupted and twisted by the powers of the void layers.
Lumoof could easily still activate his abilities, but then we immediately noticed something. Our attacks changed when they interacted with the energies of the void layers. Our roots turned into something else, and then crumbled.
We felt it again, a sudden shift in the void layers, as if a new set of commands or rules swept through the land. The crystalline octopus froze, and exploded.
It transformed into a frog, and jumped.
¡°You know.¡± Stella said. ¡°I recognize this sort of thing. It¡¯s like those cartoons where things get deconstructed.¡±
¡°I do not understand-¡± Lumoof said briefly, before he took in a bit of my memories and understood. ¡°Oh. Ooooh. This place is the factory of worlds and so it is anything and everything, but nothing is permanent.¡±
¡°Unless our domains exert our will over it.¡± Stella said. Our objects resisted the effects of the void layer slightly, but the longer they remained here, the more they changed. ¡°It is wise that we erred on the side of caution.¡±
It was a different form of divine law. Just as some worlds had divine laws weaved into their entire world and forced things to operate in a certain way, the void layers were the primordial soup and those without domains could not walk this space.
Lumoof paused and looked at Stella. There were weird puffs of smoke and clouds. They popped out of nowhere. ¡°Aeon theorized there could be a way back home, through these void layers.¡±
¡°Ah. Yes. I thought about that as well.¡± Stella looked at the crystal frog, which suddenly transformed again, as if agitated by our presence. ¡°But I don¡¯t really want to go back.¡±
Lumoof said nothing, and merely just nodded. How deep did this place go? ¡°Well, let¡¯s keep exploring.¡±
¡°There should be a way to use these void layers as a way to skip the regular distances of the void sea.¡± She tried to meddle with the space, as if trying to command the environment to change for her.
It didn¡¯t work.
Or more like, there were too many other things for it to work. The void layers were layered with multiple changing energies. Different strands of fundamental laws of reality that imposed itself on the void layers. Some of those laws vanished, and new ones took their place.
There was no air to breathe.
The two could walk the space because they were domain holders, and their existences could be sustained by magic. Both knew that their abilities allowed them to operate without air or water.
¡°Let¡¯s just follow the pulses.¡± Stella pointed, but even that direction was not a good guide. Direction was strange in the void layers, they could walk left and move right. The pulses came from the front, and suddenly they¡¯d walk into each other.
It felt like months. But it was only for a few days. The void layers. My senses through Lumoof were strained when he was in the void layers. It was as if I was dipped in a dark, pitch-black pool and I could sense nothing beyond the thin barrier created by our domains.
We arrived at a gaping hole, where the only thing we could sense was more unusual energies. It wasn¡¯t really a hole. Not always. It looked like a rift in space, and then its shape kept changing. But in all forms, it took the shape of a door. A hole. A gate. A crack in space. A small valley. Even the size changed all the time.
From that gap, I could feel something constantly pushing against us. It sought to impose its will on us, but it couldn¡¯t.
Strangely enough, the system gave us a title.
[They who Saw The Void Layer Gates]
¡°You got that?¡± Stella said.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going in.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not worried you¡¯ll be sent back home?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so. Come with me, Lumoof.¡± Stella said, and we went in.
***
We were in another place, but it was the same. Well, different, same. For reasons I couldn¡¯t understand, it felt like it was both at the same time.
The Void Layer Gates sent us through instantly.
We were now in a place with strands, strings made of things I do not understand everywhere, and we were floating. It felt like being in the middle of a constant flow of strings flowing around us. Though there was no light around us whatsoever and our senses were limited, somehow, we just knew they were there.
We floated, and here, we moved with thought.
Strands. It¡¯s as if they spoke of their presence to our souls directly, and thus their appearance took this strange form.
These strands were everywhere. Stella used a small [light] glowing from her hands, because the spell collapsed the moment it left outside the protection of her domain.
But the light from her hand allowed us to see, and the strands were all of a different set of colors. Some were rainbow colored. Some were pitch black. We were trapped in the middle of a constantly flowing river of strings, but there were little gaps here and there. Through the gaps, and through the little holes created as the strands stitched together, we could see little bubbles of worlds, and when we tried to walk towards them, or reach out to them, we couldn¡¯t.
It wasn¡¯t real. It was as if we were touching projections of light.
¡°So, what do you think we¡¯re looking at?¡± Stella said, as we kept walking. The path must¡¯ve led somewhere, even if there was no reason for it to.
Lumoof now wanted to touch the strands that were in front of him. They were so close, but they somehow instinctively moved out of the way. As if space itself bent to create space for us. We couldn¡¯t touch them. Even if they felt like they were in front of us, no matter how far we reached, it was always outside of the way.
But even observing the strands themselves, we noticed they were only sometimes real.
They flickered. Turning on, and off. Randomly. Sometimes for long stretches of time, they remained real, the others, some of these strands withered away like dry sand in the wind.
¡°I have no idea what we¡¯re looking at.¡± Lumoof said.
¡°Let¡¯s go. It should lead somewhere. Somewhere the void layers want us to be.¡± Stella sighed, as she floated. I wasn¡¯t sure if we were moving.
¡°Now you¡¯re saying the void layers want us to be somewhere?¡± Lumoof looked at the woman. The woman seemed sure. Suddenly. As if she felt something. ¡°Are you hearing something?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Stella said. ¡°Like, there is a voice somewhere. Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Where?¡± We had no sense of direction. I couldn¡¯t feel much beyond the boundaries of my domain, and what we saw changed all the time. The strands rotated, moved, and fluctuated. The only clue that we were moving was that the things just flowed out of the way.
¡°Let¡¯s just follow me.¡± Stella said, as she held Lumoof¡¯s hand. It was like swimming in an infinitely deep and wide ocean, filled with strings. Stella led us through the strands all around us. But we didn¡¯t know how far we were. There was no frame of reference, while the strands surely changed, but what and where were we going?
They continued for days. And then the days turned to months. From afar, I was unsure whether we were moving.
But Stella assured us we were. The void layers had a waypoint somewhere. It had a marker that she could feel, and we were getting close.
316. Peeling Back
Void Layers - 2nd Layer?
Lumoof thought it felt like years, but it wasn¡¯t. It was just the sameness of it all that made time seem to stretch out.
¡°How many days have we been moving?¡± Lumoof asked Stella. If he didn¡¯t regularly check in through our mutual connection, it almost felt like he was lost in the ocean of strings. At times, the strings looked fat, like gigantic long earthworms. Sometimes they resembled colorful eels, wriggling and wobbling just out of reach around them, never quite touching them.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Stella said, but she soldiered on. ¡°Keep going. We¡¯re almost there. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while, but actually, this is a familiar feeling.¡±
¡°A familiar feeling?¡± Lumoof asked.
¡°I couldn¡¯t pin it down, and kept wondering where I felt this feeling before. But you know, I learned void magic from the Zaratans, and the Zaratans have a mind-state where the void forest feels like something similar. Rather than strings, instead it was like a constant slurry of mud.¡±
¡°Oh. It¡¯s different then.¡± The avatar wasn¡¯t sure where Stella was going with it, but humored her.
¡°It is.¡± Stella said and then she stopped. ¡°I think we¡¯re here.¡±
The strings just stopped moving, and without us fully coming to the realization, we were suddenly not in that part of the void layers anymore.
***
The layer below felt normal. There was soil, albeit blue soil. There was a sky, albeit a brown sky. There was a sun, albeit a black sun. But it was somewhat normal. Compared to an ocean of strings, this was normal.
¡°So, why are we here?¡± Lumoof looked around and touched some of the soil. The world didn¡¯t feel magical. Instead, it felt thoroughly devoid of magic, and all their magic would have to come from within them. This would be a dangerous world to be stuck in, if they didn¡¯t have their own internal ways of generating magical energy.
¡°I have no idea.¡± Stella said. ¡°But it is a different layer. My senses tell me that much. Let me just lock this layer in-¡±
Lumoof gave the woman some space and so spent some time walking about the clearly lifeless place. It was as if it was a failed world. After a while, Stella looked like she was done registering the place into her own record of the void layers. ¡°At least we¡¯re out of there.¡± Lumoof looked around. ¡°Does your gut feel tell us where we need to go, now?¡±
Stella blinked as she stared accusingly at the avatar. ¡°My gut feeling is not a compass.¡±
¡°But you do know where we need to go. Don¡¯t you?¡±
The woman made a rare blush. ¡°Well, yes. Yes I do. Come.¡±
The vast lands eventually gave way to a single hole in the ground. Stella seemed to be able to feel the unusual flows of the void layers. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s a flowing layer in the background. It¡¯s like water moving in a particular direction, and so all I do is follow it.¡±
Lumoof looked at her. ¡°Will this actually go anywhere? Like we¡¯re trying to find a way to reach parts of the world we couldn¡¯t do normally. Does this actually help?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Stella answered. ¡°But we have to understand it. At least, somewhat understand it. Then we can start using it. As it is, we know nothing. Something is still infinitely better than nothing.¡±
¡°That something is knowing that there¡¯s a layer made of eels, strings, and elongated stretched objects is not exactly useful.¡±
¡°Yes, but they must exist to do something. The void layers don¡¯t feel purposeless. They have a purpose. Either as a failed state, a graveyard of worlds, or just as a nursery for something. They exist as a result of a creation process.¡± Stella said, but we¡¯d known her long enough to know this was part of her theorizing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
We did, and we entered a tunnel. A vast, massive tunnel. But there were walls here. Walls that were invisible, its presence written into our souls. Yet, we could see what happened beyond the tunnel¡¯s walls. In a distance imperceptibly far away, we both saw an egg form before our eyes.
A black egg, as massive as the world and more.
We walked and kept walking along that tunnel, fully able to see what was around us and what was ahead. As we walked further, we could see further, deeper into a giant swirling black object.
Then we couldn¡¯t proceed any more.
There was a barrier, made of a tremendous amount of void energy, blocking our path. It was transparent and yet visible to our souls. A gigantic puzzle in the shape of an ever changing door. A door that we could not open, no matter how much force or energy we exerted on it.
It was a mechanism present within the void layer. Perhaps, a protection from things that the void layer didn¡¯t want others to touch.
¡°What in the world-¡±
Stella frowned as she tried to get past it. She looked at Lumoof. ¡°Use Aeon¡¯s power and try to hit it.¡±
Lumoof did and with the full strength of my powers, we attacked this invisible barrier. The sensation was unusually clean, as if my powers smashed into a perfectly repelling rubber wall, and the recoil was just as perfect.
¡°Ouch. It¡¯s not going to work.¡± From the recoil, it answered everything I wanted to know and realized how poorly made the demon¡¯s void barrier was. Whatever it was that the demons used to block the rest of the worlds away from our eyes, it was nothing compared to this. This was incredible, and from that single hit I knew I was dealing with something that was created out of the very laws of the multiverse. This was the system itself saying no to us. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll break it with more power, no matter the number of times I hit it.¡±
Stella frowned, and yet she felt a connection to this mechanism. ¡°It¡¯s a lock. And I will need enough void mana to get through it. I have an inkling how to get past it, but I¡¯m- I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±
She just knew.
No. The very interaction with the mechanism and barrier fed the knowledge to her. It spoke to her and imprinted into her being that she wasn¡¯t ready.
She stopped and looked at Lumoof. ¡°We¡¯ll return when I¡¯m stronger. I think I need to reach Level 250 to get past this layered lock. Whatever this is, it is made as a fundamental law of this layer, and we won¡¯t get past it without fulfilling its requirements.¡±
¡°That is a very high bar to reach.¡± Lumoof looked further, and it was clear that there were other mechanisms in the way. ¡°And it won¡¯t be the last barrier.¡±
¡°If one wants to pursue the truth, it lies beyond this thing. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Stella looked back at the black swirling object that stood at the very end of the transparent tunnel. It wasn¡¯t black anymore. Instead, it started to change color. There were more eggs around us, each a nascent world preparing for birth.
Lumoof looked at it, and back. Was this really something to the demons? This felt like one of those hidden stories that went far off course from our goals. ¡°It may not be worth it. Our goal is to stop the demons.¡±
¡°I know. But I think this, just maybe, this is something for me to chase after all of that is over.¡± Stella looked, and she created a portal to bring them out of the void layers.
Year 285
Mountainworld
The arrival of the demon king was long overdue. In the past three years, the demon¡¯s rifts were a minor affair, since our Valthorns ensured that none of these demon rits ever caused any significant damage.
After the last attack on Mountainworld about 17 years ago, it would be finally time for Mountainworld to face its regular, scheduled disaster.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
It was slightly late. We¡¯d been monitoring the connected demonworld for the past three years, and didn¡¯t detect much movement, and on our end, we didn¡¯t want to trigger another demon comet by attacking the demonworld world directly. So we allowed it to play out as usual.
Over the next few years, there were quite a few demon kings that would spawn.
The world of Caval, with the hero swords, would face a new demon king in a few years. Whether we followed Edna¡¯s plan and allowed for a hero to be summoned, or deferred to Stella and destroyed the demon king upfront, was still open. I personally leaned towards Edna¡¯s plan, since, if what the Gods¡¯ said was true, heroes really did return to that moment in time where they ¡®died¡¯ or a version where they didn¡¯t die.
Yes, it would be traumatic for the hero, but with the right support system and a community of fellow heroes, we could minimize the pain, while we got a chance to fully explore the powers of a growing ¡®hero sword¡¯ and try to push that to the limits.
There was quite an interesting overlap between the nature of these hero swords and the nature of my artificial souls and titans. I thought that the learnings from this experience could lead to stronger artificial souls.
It really cannot be understated how useful artificial souls are in administering my vast empire. It is the artificial souls that control the movement of beetles throughout the empire. Without the artificial souls ensuring that my beetles move where they are supposed to, the logistic network of the Order would grind to a halt. They are pretty much the trucks and cargo ships of my empire, the red blood cells ferrying crucial cargo everywhere.
Better artificial souls would only allow me to handle more beetles and deploy even more resources.
There was also the world of Triotuga. When we visited that world, the demon king was already dead, but in the next few years, they should have a demon king as well. It¡¯s also one where we would live to observe the Boarpeople and how their powers interacted with the demon king¡¯s presence.
Then, there¡¯s Twinspace and Ulara, where the demon king still reigned unchallenged.
All in, there were about four to five demon kings over the next five years to defeat.
We would use these battles as a chance to elevate people like Lausanne, Ebon, and Hoyia to be the next generation of domain holders.
A few others like them all asked for a chance to face the demon king without assistance. We roughly concluded that it was quite difficult to be domain holders if they fought demon kings with too much help. They needed the experience, the entire experience. The Level 140s would battle the coming demon kings entirely on their own, until they were spent and totally unable to. Only then our domain holders would step in.
It was risky, but no one became domain holders without taking on some risk.
We¡¯ve grown large. Large enough that there is going to be some world, somewhere, that is going to be invaded by demons and a demon king.
We can handle it.
***
Ulara was a world where we were quite torn on.
They are a low priority world. The peripheral worlds and their perilous conditions meant I¡¯d need to maintain my node trees for convenience of access to the peripheral worlds and to facilitate smoother movement of traffic.
If I gain an increase in my number of node trees, I am still hesitant to place a node on the little snakeworld of Ulara, partly because the locals don¡¯t really want me there. But if Snek insisted, I would spawn a node tree just so that they can have an exit route, if that day ever came to pass.
Meanwhile, I spent some time checking on the city of New Ulara.
The new group of Ularan migrants, who made a home on Tropicsworld, did well. The past decade of expansion and growth meant the hard part of migrating had mostly passed. Most of the Ularans now settled down, and the new generation of Ularans adapted to their new way of living. Snek hoped that New Ulara would take after the practices of the older, pre-demon Ularans, before the demonic conquest, but those records were still back on Ulara.
The old den lords were not keen to allow those who left a chance to return. Their reasons were entirely understandable. They didn¡¯t want their ideology to spread amongst the Ularans that remained behind.
So, without access to the ancient records, Snek shared stories as much as he could remember and the builders of New Ulara tried to recreate the old cities of Ulara to the best they could.
But it was a struggle. Even after so many years, the Ularan migrants were so used to the subterranean life that life on the surface was awkward, and even after a decade, there were still some parts where their behavior was strange.
They were getting better. Day by day, there was improvement.
From what I could see, this was probably one of the better stages to be in. The pioneer era was the time when great chances were made, new norms were formed, and society experienced a period of genuine, well distributed growth.
New Ulara was meant to be the new symbol of the Ularan¡¯s desire for change, and in some ways, it was. The younger Ularans grew up without fear of the demons, even if it would take a generation or two to fully change their ways.
Just like many others, they would grow up different from their parents.
The early mature and developed stage would usually be the golden era. The post-pioneer era where some structure and order would emerge, but not still not overwhelming. Resources would be abundant, everyone would have opportunities to make something for themselves, ancient norms and rules would still not be so rigid, and their society would go through the equivalent of their teen and early adult years.
For some societies, this was when they peaked and it was all downhill from there, unless they went through a good process of renewal.
Institutions get used to a particular way of working, and over time that creates a force that resists improvement. No, more than the ossification of institutions is the presence of immortals.
It¡¯s very much true in worlds with magic, where there are existences like myself. Immortals create a concentration of power that resists change, unless the immortals themselves desired change.
We are the old pillars that prevent the rot from being too deep, but we are also the barriers that prevent further improvement. The societies, due to the pervasive effects of the immortals, over time are an image, a creation of their controlling immortal¡¯s views.
***
Freshka
The heroes had a few relatively peaceful years, and for them, they moved about and visited each other. The income provided from trading the hero items to the Order was lavish and afforded them many luxuries. Some heroes, like Khefri, liked massive mansions with dancers and all that.
It was a very comfortable and luxurious life, but I could tell that they were all a little lonely. Only Colette and perhaps Prabu, were less so.
It¡¯s not as if the heroes didn¡¯t have friends. Many did try to make friends and successfully did so with the various Valthorns, whom at some level, could be their peers. But they were never too close.
The restraints on the [hero] class didn¡¯t just hurt their ability to maintain their sanity. The [Hero] class sabotaged their ability to form connections with their friends. Peers. But I¡¯d seen how to break the [hero] class¡¯s constraints.
I understood that it was all written into the structure of the soul spring. That white, corrupted soul spring. And so Colette also suggested something, for Prabu, and the rest of the heroes.
It emerged because Colette grew increasingly frustrated at how much she had to look after the rest of the heroes.
¡°The soul spring contains our [hero] class, and if you remember correctly, it cracked over time. Can you have a look into Prabu¡¯s soul and see whether there is something in there?¡±
The heroes regularly visited my biolabs for scheduled medical checkups, once every few years. They were heroes, but it was a good habit. It kept them in generally good shape, physically. But the mental aspects were gated behind the heroic soul spring, and I wouldn¡¯t touch it unless explicitly instructed to.
I dipped into the hero¡¯s soul, and from outside, it looked generally alright.
Prabu winced, but I could feel his mind struggling. I sometimes wondered whether the [hero] class had some level of sentience to it. At least, maybe Caval¡¯s hero class had something different to it.
¡°I¡¯m going to lift up your soul spring. If there¡¯s something hidden within your soul spring, or if there¡¯s some damage, we¡¯ll take it out.¡±
It was relatively easy to lift the once-heavy heroic soul springs. They still consumed a large amount of energy, but given my stronger levels, it felt as if they were lesser.
Stronger, I felt confident and tried to look deeper into the spring itself. The last time I tried there felt like the hero¡¯s class resisted, but this time, that resistance could not stop me. So, I noticed that some of the rocks that represented the hero class protruded into the flow of the mana.
It was as if the rocks were shaping the flow of the soul¡¯s mana into the rest of the body.
I lifted the stones that formed the hero skills, and as Colette predicted, there was damage throughout the rocks.
¡°There is damage, isn¡¯t it?¡± Colette frowned, who was also along for the ride through a sharing of vision via [Dream Academy]. ¡°Can you fix it?¡±
My spiritual tentacles touched them, and the damaged rocks were fused back together. They were not really actual stones, but more like representations of a hero class. Was all this some kind of wear and tear? I did not recall such damage in my Valthorns, as I have done similar checks on them.
Was this the engineered decay of the [hero] class? The heroes¡¯ experienced skill decay after they defeated the demon king. This ¡®decay¡¯ was this ¡®wear¡¯ in their soul spring?There were some remnants, the grinded up dust and shattered remains of these hero class stones. I picked them up and kept some.
When I did, I got a notification from the system.
[Dusts of the Heroic Class - Can be used to seed new classes and skills and empower them significantly]
Was this why there was a mechanism within the system to convert the hero classes to something else? For non-hero classes they often took a different color and shape, and these non-hero classes were often forced to the outer ring of the Soul Spring.
Colette quickly reminded me to focus on Prabu. ¡°Ah yes. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±
I picked up Prabu¡¯s heroic class stones and fixed them one by one, but as I went deeper, I reached some of the protruding rocks. I didn¡¯t understand why they were meddling with Prabu¡¯s soul flow, and they were likely pushed out of place over the years.
So, I adjusted the locations of these rocks so that they no longer blocked the flow of mana from the spring.
I was done. ¡°How¡¯d you feel?¡±
Prabu blinked as his partner quickly gave him a hug. ¡°I feel. Strange. Strangely clear headed. Like, everything feels fresh and new.¡±
¡°That¡¯s amazing. Should we do this for everyone?¡± I asked Colette.
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s ask them. I¡¯ll word it as just some spiritual healing and therapy.¡±
317. Blossom
317
Mountainworld
Lausanne double checked her armor and triple checked her arsenal of spears. They were all tremendously powerful weapons, and there were fifty five of her peers around her. All of them were preparing for the battle. Ebon. Hoyia. Lausanne. The dwarven mage Blackthorn and many others prepared for a battle against the demon king.
Fifty five Level 140s would attempt the first attack on the demon king, and the hope was that some of them would make it past the finish line.
For some, the mood was relaxed. ¡°I heard you¡¯re making big waves on Twinspace.¡± Ebon grinned and tapped the matriarch on the shoulder. He looked proud of his fellow Order teammate.
¡°It has to be done.¡± Hoyia answered, the matriarch had more armor on than the rest of them. Her physical abilities were probably one of the weakest, so she had to shore it up with more armor and equipment. ¡°Just as what we have to do today.¡±
Lausanne thought about what Hoyia did ever since the developments were updated on their shared intreenet. She was there during the crusades against Aeon and felt a little bit of unusual envy. She should¡¯ve been there. She should¡¯ve tried the same thing with Magisar, too.
Mages were not immune to religious propaganda, but as someone who grew up with Aeon in her life, it was just something so taken for granted that she didn¡¯t even know where to start. For Hoyia, inventing a tale and a myth was perhaps easy. Maybe it was her class, that of a priest, that made storytelling easy.
Somehow, the knight noticed Lausanne. ¡°Has someone relieved you on Magisar, Lausanne?¡±
Lausanne snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. ¡°Ah, yes. A Mage [Lord] finally arrived to do so, but I¡¯m staying back to help the transition of power. What about you? I heard you were on Caval for a bit, was there anything interesting there?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Ebon shrugged as if it wasn¡¯t much. ¡°The living weapons are interesting and worth researching, but I think it¡¯s going to be quite challenging to get anything else of value out of it.¡±
¡°Good that you called it quits before you¡¯ve spent too much time there, then.¡± Lausanne added. ¡°Or are you still headed back there?¡±
¡°About that, it is complicated. I think we¡¯ll see each other on Twinspace instead, once Hoyia¡¯s naval expeditions are in full swing.¡± Ebon said, as he also checked his weapons. The knight¡¯s assortment of weapons came from many different craftsmen, and he had a wide range of spears, swords and lances, but one of the things he tried to do differently was minimize the use of blessings from other domain holders.
There were some competing theories on whether the assistance of other domain holders made it harder for a person to make that final cut, so even amongst the group of Level 140 Valthorns, there was some variation in whether their equipment were enchanted with the blessings of other domain holders.
A few of them went as far as surrendering Aeon¡¯s familiar, just so that they could truly put themselves on the line.
Lausanne breathed. She didn¡¯t go that far. The [Court of the Deitree] was too important to her. She nodded. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go get that demon king.¡±
Ebon nodded. In theory, there was enough firepower here to match a demon king. But because it was split across multiple individuals and not focused, that it partly meant its effectiveness was minimized. ¡°You too. See you later.¡±
One of the mages in front made a signal and everyone got into position. It was time to step through the portal and head to where the demon king would arrive. Patriarch Lumoof would watch the battle from somewhere relatively nearby and step in once the Level 140s were spent.
She hoped it never got to that point, but took a moment and looked around. Some of her peers had no backup teleportation device. Some of them did.
Reckless, but they¡¯ve been stuck so long.
Was recklessness one of the factors? She didn¡¯t think so. But after such a long, frustrating stagnation, one step before the finishing line for years, she could understand why some of them tried such unusual strategies.
A few of them looked nervous. If she told anyone else, they¡¯d probably think it would be fiction. Even if their foe was a demon king.
To the regular folk, it was hard to imagine people who were Level 140s being nervous. Folks that were so close to divinity having to give themselves a pep talk was a hilarious image.
Those not here would not understand the emotions they have, or what it is like to face a demon king with few exit routes.
Lausanne closed her eyes momentarily and gave herself a pep talk. She would make it.
She closed her eyes briefly and imagined her mother. She remembered her childhood, hiding in the tree. The decades since Aeon¡¯s presence had made Mountainworld into a safe place. She would like to help spread that presence to more worlds.
Everyone deserved freedom from a plague that did nothing but destroy. Some forms of destruction resulted in renewal. They destroyed the old so that the new could replace them.
The rift gate opened, and the Level 140s waited.
And they were off.
***
Lausanne watched the demon king emerge from the rift, in one of the thousands of mountainous valleys of Mountainworld. Mountainworld was home to numerous mountain ranges, created not by tectonic plates but by the flows of magic that forced the terrain to flow with it.
[Demon King Armaddon has arrived]
The demon king was a large scaled creature, resembling an armadillo with heavy armor, with four legs, all ending in sharp claws. It emanated a toxic aura, and the gaps in the armored scales periodically released some kind of gas. A root-mask emerged via her [Court of the Deitree] and covered her face. Some of the other Valthorns changed into full body suits of armor and magical masks, while others relied on Aeon¡¯s familiars to create a breathing mask.
Her spears charged with power, as she ran up to the gigantic armadillo demon, while the rest of the regular demons also emerged from the rift.
Distractions.
The skies rained with fire and magic, as the mages of the Valthorns bombarded the area with magic. These attacks quickly thinned the battlefield, and Lausanne herself closed in. The poison was slightly corrosive, requiring her to activate a healing ability in response.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The first strike slammed into the heavy armor and left a crack. But it was healing.
She cursed and struck again. About half of the level 140s were priests and healers, and they mostly kept their distance.
She struck again, as she felt the priest¡¯s blessings kick in. Her body, enhanced by the priest¡¯s [Strength of the Divine], made a deeper strike into the armor.
¡°Try the gaps between the scales!¡± Ebon shouted, as he treated his weapons as if they were disposable. He thrusted the powerful magically charged spears and lances into the gaps, and detonated the stored magical power.
It ripped a few of the scales off, and exposed some kind of flesh underneath.
¡°Eh. You¡¯ve made the opening.¡± Lausanne smiled, as she dived at the unprotected flesh. The key to the demon king was the demon king¡¯s core. There were two real ways of killing the demon king.
One, was to drain the demon king of its energies. Each time the demon king regenerated or repaired itself, it used up the energies within the core. That was its ¡®health¡¯. Once that ran out, the demon king wouldn¡¯t be able to restore itself and would die. Of course, the demon core also could regenerate its magical energy, so the damage delivered would have to exceed the regeneration in order to reach the point where that is even possible.
The other way was simpler. Damage the demon¡¯s core itself. Lausanne knew this worked because she had seen how Lumoof and Edna¡¯s strikes delivered damage to the core, even if it didn¡¯t hit it directly. That was key to quickly defeating the demon king.
Aeon¡¯s ability to deal spiritual damage directly to the demon king¡¯s core and mess with the rest of the demon king¡¯s abilities worked exceptionally well and was partly why demon kings felt weaker in his presence.
Lausanne dived into the flesh herself and thrust her blade into the opening. The armadillo demon king responded by flooding its flesh with poison and some kind of acid.
¡°I can¡¯t stay in there long with that.¡± Lausanne said as she leapt out. The barrier created by her familiar wasn¡¯t strong enough to overcome the deluge of poison and acid. Some of her armor was already partially corroded.
The mages and priests that kept their distance understood, and she was then blessed with an array of shields and barriers. ¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Ebon said, as he briefly retreated to the mages. His armor was heavily damaged, but he managed to rip apart some of the armadillo demon king¡¯s scales on the other end. ¡°I¡¯ll get in from the other side.¡±
There were about twenty other level 140s harassing the demon king, and a few of them tried what Lausanne did. So far, not one of them died yet.
¡°Don¡¯t be reckless.¡± Lausanne said, as her spears glowed. ¡°Even if this demon king is slightly on the weaker end, they shouldn¡¯t take such risks.¡±
¡°Says the one diving into a flooded pool of acid and poison.¡± Ebon smiled as his armor somehow regenerated magically, armor shining as if it was newly forged. ¡°We are all prepared to die, milady. Our conviction is just as strong as yours.¡±
Lausanne blinked, and then smiled. ¡°Ah. That is true. Then let¡¯s see who gets to it first.¡±
***
The Valthorns launched wave after wave of attacks, but the demon king¡¯s toughness was truly impressive. A few of them tapped out and retreated.
Lausanne kept trying, but the demon king¡¯s core proved elusive. The creature was too large, and each of their strikes wasn¡¯t deep enough. She remembered how Edna once said that she felt thoroughly frustrated.
She was a domain holder, but even at Level 150 to 190, she didn¡¯t have enough firepower.
But no. Lausanne knew she couldn¡¯t think that way. Edna was Edna. She was someone else, and her talents were different.
She saw Ebon run through different weapons, each of his strikes cut fairly deep, but consumed the weapon itself. She needed a way to strike the demon king¡¯s core and yet, could she replicate some of Lumoof and Aeon¡¯s spiritual sensing ability?
She activated her [Court of the Deitree] and used her spiritual vision. It couldn''t see through the demon king¡¯s body.
She should have been able to see through it. Frustrated, she moved much closer to the demon king and landed into one of the regenerating wounds, stabbing her spear deep into the demon king¡¯s body. Using the spear as a listening, sensing tool, she tried to sense where the turbulent magic of the demon king came from.
The demon king flooded her with demonic mana.
Lausanne saw her skin change color, as the demon¡¯s magical energies flowed through the spear and into her hand.
Ebon, on the other side, slammed his sword into the demon king¡¯s flesh with all his might. The attacks caused the demon¡¯s magical energies to wane slightly, and Lausanne¡¯s own spiritual energy pushed back and regained control of her hand.
Still, she tried to find the demon king¡¯s core. The armadillo was too large. They wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if they keep attacking like this.
Then, Lausanne felt herself flooded with holy energy. Hoyia and a few other priests noticed what Lausanne was trying to do and combined their energies to bless her.
The best thing she could do now was to not waste it, so she pushed her own spiritual presence through her hand and into the spear.
¡°Where was the demon king¡¯s core located-¡± She cursed, as she felt the two powerful forces fight within her soul. Hoyia and the priests channeled their powers through her, and the demon king¡¯s energy fought back.
¡°Keep up the attack!¡± Ebon rallied the rest of the fighters to buy Lausanne some space. The rest of them launched volleys of attacks against the armadillo.
Lausanne searched systematically through the demonic creature and then she found it.
She immediately took out a special spear and held it up. ¡°Hoyia! Bless the spear!¡± She commanded as she channeled her own magical energies and abilities. The spear glowed, and she lunged it towards the demon king¡¯s core, hidden beneath multiple layers of demonic sinew and muscles.
That attack caused the armadillo to flail wildly, as the spear¡¯s energies barely grazed the demon king¡¯s core.
The attack hurt it slightly.
¡°Again!¡± But this time, the armadillo flailed like a wild bull and began to curl up into a ball. A few of the druids and mages tried to stop it and used the weapons to hold the demon king in place, but they were not strong enough. Lausanne¡¯s spear touched the demon king¡¯s core again, and she felt a little crack.
Then, the demon king released a powerful burst of energy.
Lausanne cursed and immediately moved out of the way, as a spherical explosion emerged from the demon king. The demon king transformed, as the explosion forced all the Valthorns to retreat.
The giant armadillo transformed into a smaller, human sized beast, and immediately charged towards Lausanne with tremendous force.
¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Lumoof emerged, as his avatar formed. A massive shield of wood slammed into the demon king with a thunderous boom sending shockwaves throughout the valley. Then the spiritual roots emerged. If the attack hit her, Lausanne knew that was the end. ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here.¡±
Aeon emerged, and the demon king was no match for their enraged divine patron.
The demon king was slain in but a few moments later. Lausanne watched the battle end and knew they¡¯d have to try again-
[Demon King Armaddon has been slain]
That would¡¯ve been the end of it, as it normally did.
But then, Lausanne felt the system¡¯s whisper continue.
She blinked.
[You¡¯ve gained a level. You are now Level 150, and may now select a domain. You have three available choices].
[Domain of the Spirit Warrior]
[The Spirit Warrior is a master of weapons that strike at the spiritual heart of your enemies. You will gain a range of abilities and weapons that attack both the spirit and the flesh. These spiritual attacks are able to ignore conventional and magical defensive abilities. You are also able to bless weapons to grant them the ability to temporarily deliver attacks that pass through conventional and magical defenses]
[Subdomain of Aeon - Aeon¡¯s Huntress]
[As a subdomain of Aeon, You gain an ability to link through Aeon¡¯s clone and tree network, allowing you to move seamlessly through the multiverse at will. You will also gain a range of combat abilities similar to your patron god, to enact fury on his behalf. You are able to transform trees into Aeonic War Treants and also summon Aeon¡¯s beetles to support you in combat.]
[Domain of the Unchosen Champion]
[You once wanted to be a hero, and you¡¯ve finally reached the starting point. This domain replicates certain heroic abilities you¡¯ve encountered in your journey, except for the [hero¡¯s forge], and allows you to use star mana, convert your mana to star mana, and vice versa over a period of time. You gain the ability to use and manipulate unprotected hero-items without any penalty]
Lausanne blinked again, and then turned to look at Lumoof with shock.
¡°I¡¯m Level 150 and I have a very important choice to make.¡±
318. The Seedlings Fork
Year 285 (continued)
Lausanne, on Mountainworld
Lausanne stood at the side of the crater, the demon king already crushed by Aeon¡¯s roots. The corpse of the armadillo demon king was filled with roots that tore it apart. One of the roots was holding an intact demon king¡¯s core. It would be another one for Aeon¡¯s group of mages and artificers to study.
But it was just a passing point of note. Her mind was preoccupied. Ascension.
Something she had hoped for, and now she had finally achieved it. Her mind swirled at the choices.
She had never planned for this part. After all, without knowing what the [domains] were, what sort of planning could there be?
She looked around.
Was she the only one? Ebon looked exhausted, and she felt for him. He had worked just as hard. There was Hoyia on the side, she seemed relieved. She also felt a little bit stronger. Hoyia was in the Level 140s, but she wasn¡¯t exactly at the edge. She must¡¯ve gained a few levels and now she was on the cusp of becoming a domain holder.
But Ebon noticed Lausanne¡¯s eyes, and he walked to Lausanne. ¡°You did it. I could feel it.¡±
¡°I did.¡± Lausanne said, but thought of consoling the knight. Ebon was at that edge far longer than anyone else, and yet the system gave her the domain before him. Why? There were a thousand questions in her mind, but none would help at this moment.
But she stopped before the words left her mouth. Ebon didn¡¯t need it. He¡¯s a damned good knight, he didn¡¯t need her consoling worlds. She knew he would trudge on. He tried his best to smile. ¡°Good job. It¡¯ll be me next time.¡±
¡°It will.¡± Lausanne answered. The rest of the Valthorns packed up. The battle was over, and it was now time for their routine cleanup. A group of mages and crafters teleported in and began to mine the space for anything valuable.
Hoyia walked over as well to congratulate her. ¡°Well done.¡±
Lausanne smiled and said the usual thanks. There were many others who all came to congratulateher, but for now, she had something to think about. Something important that would truly shape the rest of her life.
It was an interesting set of three choices, and she wondered how they fit in her life. Lumoof once said that one¡¯s domain choices seemed to be based on their [class] and their selection of abilities, but it was also a reflection of the direction of their lives.
She had served Aeon since her childhood and wondered whether Aeon¡¯s Huntress seemed to represent that. Her early life when she grew up under Aeon¡¯s care and the later years when she served as one of the tree god¡¯s many warriors. As one of the earliest members of the Valthorns, she was sent on many missions to support the then-New Freeka¡¯s issue.
She speculated the first one, the spirit warrior, arose from her attempts at developing powerful piercing weapons, again, as part of her role as an agent of the Valtrian Order.
The last choice made her think of her old Uncle Jura. She would love to see his reaction to this. Maybe she would¡¯ve told Uncle Jura that her dream of being a hero wasn¡¯t impossible after all. Or maybe he would¡¯ve been really proud of her. Even though it had been many, many years since he died, for a moment, she imagined him there tapping her on the shoulder.
¡°Well who would¡¯ve thought. I was wrong after all.¡± The imaginary Uncle Jura said with pride. ¡°To think the little girl that I stopped from killing a wolf is now a champion.¡±
She shook her head, her heart wasn¡¯t ready to choose at this time. So, she looked around some more, noticed there wasn¡¯t much left to do and then said to Patriarch Lumoof. ¡°I think I want to go home and go see my mother and my two kids.¡±
Lumoof nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing to do. Go and clear your mind. You¡¯ll need it.¡±
Maybe she should visit her late husband¡¯s grave as well. Yeah. She should. People that she should talk to before she decided on which of the three to go for.
Her heart told her that she should go for the last one. It was a dream, a dream she had buried and told herself was impossible, but deep down inside, her subconscious still didn¡¯t really believe it was.
***
As she returned to Freshka after the war on Mountainworld, there were many others that sought her attention. News of her ascension was only known to the level 140s and domain holders, but she knew it would spread eventually.
For now, home.
Home was her well-furnished mansion in a quiet corner of Freshka. It wasn¡¯t the first home, but it was where she had lived for the past few decades. It was here where she remembered Kei knocked some sense in her and then convinced her to rejoin the Order.
She should thank her for giving her that jolt she so sorely needed. And it seemed that the golem had a talent for impeccable timing.
¡°I came to see you.¡± Kei, it seemed, had read her mind and was already in the area waiting for her. ¡°I heard from Lumoof.¡±
¡°He told you?¡±
¡°I would curse him for an eternity if he didn¡¯t.¡± Kei the golem tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°One more to Aeon¡¯s pantheon of future deities.¡± Kei didn¡¯t need to drink, and yet she came with some kind of juice from one of her favorite fruit juicers.
¡°Did Lumoof tell you about my choices?¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. He didn¡¯t. He said I¡¯d have to ask you myself. That damned old man feeding me with incomplete information.¡±
The newly ascended elf found the golem¡¯s reaction amusing. ¡°He just didn¡¯t want to spoil the surprise then. Do you want to know?¡¯
¡°Of course I do!¡± Kei said loudly and thumped her crystalline chest. Her biocrystalline form was so good at mimicking flesh that Lausanne still occasionally forgot that she wasn¡¯t actually a human anymore. ¡°I¡¯m invested in your success!¡±
The two settled down in one of the reading rooms in Lausanne¡¯s mansion, and the elf narrated the three choices. In the end, Kei¡¯s choice was very similar to Lausanne¡¯s gut feeling.
¡°Choose the unchosen champion. It¡¯s the path for you to do what you¡¯ve always wanted to do but couldn¡¯t. Star mana is tremendously powerful.¡±
¡°I believe so too. But I thought of giving it some time before I make that commitment. We are not at the point where I need to rush through that decision.¡±
After Kei, a few of Lausanne¡¯s closest friends, families all came to talk to her. Her mother, Laufen, was proud as hell and wished that her father would have been there to see it. Her daughter, Arlisa didn¡¯t seem too excited. If anything, Lausanne¡¯s success turned into a deeper, larger shadow that loomed over her life. Lausanne tried to tone it down, but Arlisa¡¯s frustration only grew.
Her son was fairly relaxed and didn¡¯t have much of an opinion of his own. He was just glad that now that she was a domain holder, she would be eligible for the resurrection ability of Aeon. He didn¡¯t have to fear losing his mother, and that was all that he needed to know.
***
The valley of the Unrotten. It was the name those who came after her gave to this place. The name of the place where they survived the Rottedlands.
She didn¡¯t like the name. It was her home. It was Freeka, and then New Freeka. It wasn¡¯t such a deep, scary valley, either. Their long confinement of almost two decades surviving on their own druidic produce and what little food they farmed in the valley was a memory most of them didn¡¯t think about. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Things are definitely better now.
Nostalgia. Her mind thought about those days when she was trapped here in the valley.
The valley has changed so much. This place used to be home. Their homes used to be within the various [subsidiary trees] of Aeon, but it had been more than a century. She hadn¡¯t been back in a long time, and yet, the very act of achieving one¡¯s domain seemed to refresh her past.
So here she was.
The place felt dense. Aeon¡¯s presence was so heavy here, and before she got her domain, at times it felt suffocating. She could even tell he was trying to shift his presence around, but Aeon¡¯s presence distorted the world and that distortion was unmistakable. Increasingly, even Edna, Stella, and Lumoof all also distorted the world around them.
For lesser beings, they were at the mercy of something that could unmake them in many different ways.
This time, this visit, it all felt different. She could still feel Aeon¡¯s powerful presence, but it gently moved around her, as if she was a boat sailing through calm, peaceful waters. She was once a sandcastle facing the ocean tide, but today, it was as if her sandcastle was made of carved marble and stone, and the waters did not harm her.
¡°TreeTree, are you there?¡± Lausanne could speak to him everywhere, and yet, she still came here to speak to him.
Her childhood that at some point seemed hazy, now turned clear. She knew her fellow domain holders had rather vivid memories, but the sudden clarity to her memory and the strength of her nostalgia made her wonder whether this was an effect of the choices available to her.
¡°Yes.¡± The voice spoke into her head, and she blinked as she realized she could alter the form of that voice. Aeon¡¯s voice had taken an ethereal, choral quality over the years, as if a thousand trees rustling and speaking together at once. Now, with the domain, the voice she allowed to enter her mind was within her control.
She could shape that voice such that it didn¡¯t overwhelm her, and she blinked as she realized how much leeway she had to shape the voice of those communicating with her telepathically.
She had always known that the [domain] protected them from mental intrusions and the effects of other immortals. In a way, a domain was the [system]¡¯s way of carving up the distinction between someone who existed as a part of the environment and someone who now stood above them.
¡°I can make you sound like you used to.¡± Lausanne said, feeling amused at how Aeon¡¯s voice was back to that old, wise, but singular voice of her younger days.
¡°It seems the domain has brought you a fair bit of nostalgia.¡± Aeon spoke to her without the echoing. Her mind didn¡¯t have to strain to withstand a powerful being¡¯s intrusion.
¡°Yes. It has. Since two of my choices make a reference to my past, I would think so.¡± Lausanne said. Both the [Unchosen Champion] and [Aeon¡¯s Huntress] referred to her roles over the years. ¡°It seems I was held back by my past more than the others.¡±
¡°And the [system] recognizes you for it.¡±
¡°I thanked Kei for helping me realize that I had unsolved dreams. But now I think I owe her a little more than that.¡± She should buy Kei a good present for breaking her out of her stupor. A nice meal would be the normal way of saying thanks, but the golem didn¡¯t really need to eat.
¡°Kei¡¯s casual way of achieving things without much direct conflict is a strength of hers. I would give her a reward, but what she wants is just for the heroes to have a good rest.¡±
Lausanne smiled. She knew Kei played a big role during the first crusades, then later as the coordinator of the League of Heroes. Now this. ¡°Yes. But this is the start. I am at the starting line. What should I choose?¡±
¡°It¡¯s your choice. We will respect whatever you do and know that there will be a place for you.¡± Aeon said, and for a moment, she remembered the days of New Freeka. ¡°There are thousands of worlds. Stella¡¯s detection finds more worlds the further it goes.¡±
¡°The first choice-¡±
¡°The first choice, I suspect, is about your youth.¡± Aeon said. ¡°Your first weapon was a spear, and a dagger. The spear, because you hoped to reach them and hit them before they could hit you. The dagger, because you wanted to kill the moment they got close enough.¡±
¡°Edna always wanted to be a knight.¡± Lausanne said. She actually remembered meeting Edna when she was just a [Grand Knight] undergoing training in Freshka. She remembered Aeon offering her the level-breaking fruit, and she had declined. That fruit, instead, went to Edna. She had wasted so many years.
¡°That is a part of it. A part of you wanted to wander the world, learn from various spirit trees. We are more than just a single thing, and the [System] probably has to try very hard to boil down what your story is.¡± Aeon speculated.
Yet thinking about the system¡¯s peculiarities was not why she was here today.
Lausanne shook her head, and approached one of the Giant Attendant Trees. ¡°Is our home still there, inside your [Secret Hideout]?¡±
There was silence. A long silence she was so used to.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Can I see it?¡± Lausanne said.
The dark, magical bark that was part of Aeon¡¯s gigantic body shapeshifted, the bark itself reforming into a door. It was a kind of wood magic, but maybe not. Her fingers and arms seemed to tremble as she reached for the knob.
The room was unchanged. There were still a few of Uncle Jura¡¯s things all over the place. There were some old clothes, perfectly preserved by Aeon¡¯s preservation ability.
¡°This was after New Freeka?¡± Lausanne asked. ¡°We stopped living within you after the Rottedlands Incident.¡±
¡°Yes. After my long sleep all of you were used to living outside. You¡¯ve all stayed in for a bit, but then, eventually all of you moved out.¡±
Lausanne nodded. The valley wasn¡¯t a place to stay. Freshka, the new city that was built nearby, was a much more pleasant place. Not everyone wanted to live under the presence of a god. So, the [secret hideout] was just as it was. Most things of value were taken away, but there were some old things left behind.
They were already a powerful group at that time. Freshka and the Order had risen to dominate the continent. There were a few old overcoats, some thick boots, and a few more gloves. There was the old pantry area, with the old wooden plates and cups.
¡°The world used to be a lot simpler.¡± Lausanne said, and she felt Aeon laugh in her head. Without the creepy echoes of Aeon¡¯s voice, the laughter genuinely felt amusing.
¡°It¡¯s only simpler because someone else dealt with the complicated stuff.¡± Aeon said.
¡°You¡¯re right. It was just a silly thought in my head.¡± The elven girl looked at that. ¡°But I still miss those days. My memories of my childhood are so vivid, suddenly.¡± Then she was quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve never brought my late-husband here, did I?¡±
¡°No. Not to this space.¡±
¡°He would¡¯ve loved to see it, and I can still imagine him here. He would have said we lived in a life of luxury. Temperature controlled and stable supply of clean water is something hard to find out there as an adventurer.¡± Lausanne laughed. ¡°We were lucky. We were very, very lucky.¡±
Aeon didn¡¯t answer, but she knew it was good fortune. She knew he agreed.
¡°What should I choose?¡± Lausanne asked again.
This time, Aeon didn¡¯t answer with words. Instead, a door opened. She knew what it was. It led to Aeon¡¯s secret chambers. It was where the old [Soul Forge] and [Biolabs] were.
She followed the largely unused stairs down into an old room. She remembered she was here often.
She looked around, and then, saw a door that she had never seen before. It opened.
It led her further, deeper.
Down into the depths, into a secret room. It was larger, newer. And it was filled with treasures.
She blinked.
¡°This room is-¡±
¡°A room of treasures. Things we¡¯ve collected over the years. The various plants from all over the multiverse. The various fruits. Trinkets. Belongings of those who have fallen. The divine log and many others.¡± Aeon said. ¡°I kept them here mostly as a store of things, and mainly, I wanted you to see the relics we have.¡±
The divine log. The lens for the Margmarian dwarves. Special weapons used by the old, fallen warriors. Jura¡¯s old set of weapons. Lovis¡¯s old spear. The heroes¡¯ items and a few personal belongings. She recognized many of them. There were things from the other elves too. Aeon kept the mementos and belongings of the Valthorns that fell in battle, it was a connection to those who fought for him. Even items from the very first refugees who came to New Freeka.
He needed them to augment his abilities as a [Soul Tree] and allow for the living to speak to those who recently died.
It was part of what he did to ensure that their spirits were properly handled and processed through the spiritual realm.
In a twisted way, it was a cemetery to those who died. An altar made of the personal belongings of so many people.
¡°It¡¯s just a place where I kept things. A [Treeasury], if you may.¡±
Lausanne laughed. ¡°Can I touch them?¡±
¡°Try not to. The spiritual remnants of those who have left are very fragile. I keep them protected, but a touch from a [domain holder] is stronger than most.¡±
¡°I see. We¡¯ve lost many of our friends over the years.¡± Lausanne suddenly could remember the faces of those who used to have these things.
¡°It is. Of the first generation, only a few of you live, or remain.¡±
There were a few mementos of those who died. Things that belonged to her friends. Emile, Brislach, Wahlen. She looked at them and memories of her childhood with her friends when still lived.
¡°I couldn¡¯t save them.¡± Lausanne said. ¡°That day when the Rottedlands happened, I was too far away, and I could only reach a few. In the end it was Uncle Jura that saved us.¡±
¡°Death was too common in that era.¡±
A lifetime of changes had occurred in the past two centuries, and yet, she was now effectively an immortal. There would be a lot more changes to come, and she would play a larger role in shaping that future. She looked at all the relics and realized they were exactly that. Relics of the past. A snapshot of a time that was. But she wasn¡¯t in the past. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do, now.¡±
¡°Oh. What would that be?¡±
¡°I¡¯m too preoccupied with the past. I should think about what will work better for the future.¡± Lausanne said. She should approach her choice without the baggage of the past, but instead, think about what would serve her well for the future.
Unplanned break announcement (December)
Hi all. I am taking a break for the entire month of December to indulge in some new obsessions. I will be trying to make some games on RPGmaker and also try to get my non-computer-literate brain to somehow digest godot''s gdscript and concepts.
What I wanna do : If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
1. Try to set up a simple gameplay loop in rpgmaker for Tree of Aeons to explore a sorta ''base-builder'' style game for ToA
2. Try to do a RSM dating sim on Rpgmaker.
3. Learn how to get godot to work.
I have been absolutely consumed by godot and rpgmaker to think about anything else, and I don''t really wanna write when my heart is elsewhere.
Thanks for all the support.
319. Sentreements
Chapter 319
Aeon
I felt glad that of the first few elves that I took under my wing, one of them finally achieved a domain.
A part of me feared for them, and a part of me still dreaded the separation of death that occurred with Jura. I would lose Laufen as well, though her eventual death as an elven woman was still at least many hundreds of years away.
Life would eventually end, even for elves with their exceptionally long lifespan. That is the way of the world.
But even for me, there are days when I feel a little weary. Tired. Just like Lausanne said. There are times, moments, when one wished for the simpler days of the past. Now I would not have to witness Lausanne¡¯s permanent death, and that was a great deal of relief. I was fond of them, the first few elves that walked the path with me. They were there for me, and I was there for them. And now, one of them would live, for as long as possible. In Lausanne¡¯s domain, I had an additional anchor to my early village of Freeka days.
It also felt nice, a sense of validation that my goal wasn¡¯t wrong. I had supported her in her dream to be a hero, even if that journey took hundreds of years and a long detour through many worlds. She would now be a domain holder, with the powers similar to a hero. No matter the choice she made, it was still a significant step up in her strength.
So, while Lausanne pondered her new pleasant dilemma, the wider worlds continued to demand my attention.
***
Twinspace
Hoyia returned to Twinspace to continue the crusades for the cursed continent. As of now, half of the continent¡¯s nations had already converted to Hoyia¡¯s Temple of Aeon.
The level of expansion slowed around this point, for two main reasons. One, the number of priests and agents at Hoyia¡¯s disposal was limited. Hoyia was increasingly concerned that once her area of rule expanded, there were not enough priests and agents to expand and properly steer the zealots.
The zealots were powerful. Their passion was real, but it was therefore really important to properly guide this fervor in a way that would lead to productive outcomes.
The second reason was really more of a number issue. With any significantly large number of people, there would be those who oppose for the sake of opposing. Those that felt a need to struggle against others and rebel against the norm.
Half of the inhabited Old Continent was more than good enough.
Hoyia¡¯s followers channeled the zealots from their converted population. The most passionate were redirected to building ships and raising an army to sail on them towards the new islands. The islands at the middle were built into a rest and refueling stop, for them to proceed to the cursed continent.
They built 1,000 to 2,000 ships, and all in a few hundred thousand warriors would leave for the journey. Many of these would set sail for the Cursed Continent from the islands, chasing the dream of the promised land.
As with all acts of faith, there was a special ceremony to seek the blessings of their patron god. For assistance, for a smooth journey, and for a successful venture.
A few thousand warriors and a few thousand more spectators. The ceremony would be held across the cities simultaneously, though the main event that was a massive sendoff at the main port city.
Multiple platforms were constructed throughout the cities in order to host the event.
It would be time for her to summon a titan, and she made arrangements with Lumoof to make it a spectacle. It had to be. She asked for a beetle carrier to fly overhead. Its surreal, alien quality was something she wanted to exploit to properly cement Aeon¡¯s role as an otherworldly god.
The first fleet would be referred to by many names by future historians, but in general we called it the Expeditionary Fleet, and the army that went to the Cursed Continent was referred to as The Army of the Promised Land. The names were something the priests created to help their appeal in the eyes of their followers.
There was a launch event, to flag off the first ships from the anchor points that would sail towards the Promised Land.
On a sea-facing platform located on the shoreline of their largest ports, Hoyia was once again surrounded by hundreds of thousands of spectators. Her group of priests began to sing. The singing, amplified by their priest powers, could be heard throughout the city, and it was as if everyone was sucked into a song, even if they didn¡¯t want to.
The skies darkened, a mix of magic from various mages, and then, Lumoof appeared from above in the avatar form. He was tiny.
He was an actor in Hoyia¡¯s scheme.
A role to play in the goal of solidifying their mythos.
The chants continued, and Hoyia¡¯s priests sang to call on their god¡¯s blessings.
The song and hymns intensified, and they timed it for the moment it almost hit a crescendo. The skies above changed as Lumoof activated his [avatar] form.
Everyone in the city looked up and saw a gigantic magical tree that covered the sun and clouds. An oppressive atmosphere descended on the entire city as their ¡°god¡± came to their world.
¡°We are blessed!¡± Hoyia roared.
And as if controlled by the priestess, the crowd followed and roared. For a moment, the entire city echoed with the collective roar of the spectators, guided by her gentle, but stern voice.
Through Lumoof, a gigantic living beetle emerged. Its size cast a large shadow that caused everyone to look up.
It was larger than any of the ships that waited in the harbor, and was large enough to hold hundreds, if not thousands of beetles within its gigantic wings.
Its appearance made the crowd stare in silence, and awe. The beetle carrier floated in the air, then, as if woken from a long slumber, the massive wings began to flap. A burst of wind swept through the entire city.
¡°Our god has blessed our crusade and granted us one of its powerful servants to aid us on our journey! Together with our great expeditionary fleet, we will crush the demons!¡±
Throughout the continent, those who used some form of scrying magic to observe the event were all struck in fear, as the size of the gigantic beetle carrier overhead was myth and legend made real.
Spurred by their god¡¯s perceived blessing, the first crusade sailed for the demon¡¯s continent. A gigantic beetle-carrier flew above the fleet of ships, its winds helped the magical sails to go further, faster.
***
Privately, the Order knew it was just easier to use magic. But extensive teleportation magic just didn¡¯t have the spectacle and emotional touch of a journey across the ocean. There were also not enough mages and wizards to teleport a few hundred thousand warriors and their supplies over an entire ocean.
But that would be solved later.
The mages of the Order began construction of a large teleportation array on the de facto capital of the Temple of Aeon on Twinspace on Port Tarfa.
Port Tarfa would be given a special title as its special place in the eyes of the Temple. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The Holy Port City of Tarfa would be the seat of the Matriarch¡¯s primary temple, and rather than commission a grand temple, she got some druids from Treehome to grow a gigantic tree into the shape of a temple.
Ideally, she would have liked it to be a [node tree], but the actual node would be placed on the Demon¡¯s continent to facilitate the conquest of the new continent. So this was the compromise they ended with.
The teleportation array would then be paired with another teleportation array on the demon¡¯s continent close to the node tree, and the two would then facilitate fairly regular movement of people between the two continents without the use of ships or airships in the future.
***
The journey across the ocean took about two months, faster than expected due to some favorable winds and magic from the Order¡¯s mages.
Hoyia wanted the first fleet to appear ¡®blessed¡¯, and so she had used her resources to ensure favorable winds. With things going well, the Expeditionary Fleet¡¯s army was in high spirits.
Hundreds of thousands landed on the demonic continent and with the backing of the giant beetle carrier that flew overhead, nicknamed Gantry, war finally came for the cursed continent.
The landing site they chose would be where they founded the cursed continent¡¯s first city, and the city would be later named Expedition¡¯s Landing. The demons were fairly disorganized, and so the army of zealots were able to swiftly purge the area of demons and thus. The war to claim the cursed continent had begun.
These expeditioners quickly able to verify the Temple of Aeon¡¯s claims.
The cursed land really was incredibly fertile and rich with resources. It was never mined, never farmed. Even with the demon¡¯s corruptive blight.
***
Back on the old continent, there were rumors and news that began to spread. Wealth. Resources. Large untapped masses of potential farmland!
But no one believed it yet. After all, they did not see it.
The Cursed Continent was covered in demonic blight, and that same demonic blight tampered with magic. This interference was too much for most of the relatively lower level native mages of Twinspace.
But Hoyia knew she had to show results. Something to keep the nobles and the new zealots hooked. So, Hoyia¡¯s expeditionary fleet hauled up large boulders of unprocessed ore. Most of these boulders were left untouched by the demons, filled with gold and gems, and were shipped back to the main continent.
She knew that day when the first ship, their very first ¡®Treasure ship¡¯ landed on Port Tarfa and unveiled what they had brought back from their very first landing post, the rush for the cursed continent would truly begin.
***
Treehome
¡°Everything¡¯s okay.¡± Prabu said as he emerged from the biolab. ¡°I feel great, actually. Strangely nice.¡±
He stretched. Did some small jumps. The man looked like he never aged a bit. Rohana, his daughter, looked happy. Relieved. The heroes had many children, though both Prabu and Colette have been fairly special with each other and only have Rohana.
She was much older now and in her teens. A human like her didn¡¯t have much special skills, but as she began to age faster than her parents, I knew they would start to have strange thoughts about their children.
But it was a can they kicked down the road.
For now, everything is fine. In fact, things are better.
Our scheduled inspections post-soul spring operation didn¡¯t indicate anything unusual, but after some regular battle tests later, we discovered there were small improvements to Prabu¡¯s abilities.
We noticed Prabu stopped complaining about unusual pains in his head.
It wasn¡¯t totally gone. But they were far less painful than before.
They didn¡¯t hurt him in a primal way when we spoke about topics regarding demon kings and postponing battles. He could endure those conversations and retain memories of them.
I thus formulated a hypothesis that those protruding stones in their soul springs were ways the hero class influenced their minds. It warped the shape of the spiritual energy flows, and in doing so, they shaped their mind. All other classes did not have those protrusions. I¡¯ve examined so many other Valthorns and individuals to know that classes do not alter the flow of mana from the ¡®inner¡¯ soul.
So, I quickly summoned the rest of the heroes for a similar inspection.
Not all of them wanted to let me work on their souls and clean it up, but they were willing to allow me to have a look in their soul spring.
I peered into the soul springs of Khefri, Adrian, Samuel, Rajah and Wira and realized that they all had multiple protruding stone structures that altered the flow of their souls. This was the equivalent of a tumor growing within their brains. It applied pressure on their minds, and thus, shaped and directed their behavior in a certain fashion.
Unless they were able to thoroughly purge and ¡®clean¡¯ their hero class like Colette, this did mean I could suppress and weaken the [hero] class¡¯s mental influences and allow them to think with more clarity.
I believe if I wanted an honest discussion with the heroes, they needed to be able to think clearly.
Yet, of the five other heroes, only Khefri and Adrian wanted me to help them fix the protruding stone structures.
Samuel, Rajah, and Wira all were still a little apprehensive. They were still new, and maybe, still didn¡¯t trust me fully. Rajah and Wira, in the larger scheme of things, were mostly out of the Order¡¯s day to day activities.
Gigantadragon, the world that they came from, was still fairly independent, and with the enemy demon king slain, their world could get back to normalcy on their own. They still had multiple surviving large nations and cities that could invest and rebuild their old destroyed nations, and they did.
Samuel wanted to wait and see. The handsome elven hero decided, somehow, that the hero class is sacred and shouldn¡¯t be tampered with. Perhaps it was a holdover of all the education from the Sacred Cherry Tree of Landas.
Regardless, I helped Khefri and Adrian adjust their protruding stone structures and clean up some of the accumulated ¡®waste¡¯ within their heroic soul springs. Just like with Prabu, I received a little more of the [heroic dust]. It was a strange thing, but I wanted to experiment with it a little bit more.
But with Khefri, this time I noticed there was something else in there. A differently colored rock within her soul spring. I didn¡¯t know why I never noticed it before, or perhaps, because it was in the inner side of the soul spring, obscured by the turbulent star mana of her soul.
It had a connection to another.
This was a part of the [Pact of the Three], between the three powers of Threeworld.
It was how Zhaanpu kept some limited control over Khefri. Once I just gently touched it, it responded back to me and it felt like something I knew.
It was a skill, a [Contract].
A [Soul Pact of the Three].
[Soul Pact of the Three is invisible to its host. An ancient bond that ties all heroes to the three hegemons of Threeworld. It allows the Three Hegemons to exercise some control and influence on the heroes]
I knew that Zhaanpu had some ways of controlling Khefri. But now I know how.
I left it untouched, but I wondered whether I should let Khefri know. For now, I adjusted the rest of the protruding stones and removed the tampering effect on the flow of her star mana.
***
Threeworlds
Khefri returned to the world of Threeworlds feeling refreshed. Her mind was clear. Clearer than it had even been.
Somehow, when she stepped into her old palace, something she did out of habit, she looked around and asked herself.
¡°Why am I doing all of this?¡±
The more she wandered through her old palace, she truly didn¡¯t understand what she went through. It didn¡¯t make any sense. It used to feel comfortable. As if it appealed to a part of her. What was the harem of dancing boys for?
It puzzled her. The clarity of mind suddenly placed all her past actions under question, and she began to realize that they were coping mechanisms.
The [hero] class distracted her from things. She wandered her palace, and in the end, decided to go talk to Zhaanpu.
¡°You¡¯ve come to see me willingly.¡± Zhaanpu said with a sigh. ¡°What happened now?¡±
¡°Aeon removed some of the inhibitions of the [hero] class.¡±
Zhaanpu sighed. ¡°He should not have done that. They exist for a reason.¡±
¡°Did you know this would happen?¡±
¡°Me? No. I have never seen it done. But heroes are dangerous. You can be dangerous. These inhibitions and distractions are how the gods ensure heroes remain functional and non-destructive in a world that only needs you for moments in time. The reality of being ripped out of your old world and placed into a new one is hard for you.¡±
Zhaanpu geared for a fight, as if Khefri was here for a showdown. Maybe it was Zhaanpu¡¯s old past life¡¯s experience. His past with heroes often involved showdowns.
But he didn¡¯t get one. ¡°No.¡± Khefri countered, as she realized Zhaanpu was prepared to fight her. He was worried that without the inhibitions, she would go rogue. But no. That¡¯s not what she is here for. ¡°No it¡¯s not. Not for me. There¡¯s no need for this.¡± Khefri said, as she realized that Zhaanpu¡¯s fears were unfounded. ¡°I have my fellow hero-friends, and as long as there is a community, I can deal with this. I just came to talk.¡±
That made Zhaanpu a little puzzled. ¡°That is quite a surprise.¡±
¡°Yeah. I think you can just take back my palace and assimilate my old queendom. I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Khefri said. ¡°But I will return to fight the demons, as I must.¡±
¡°I see. This is an interesting turn of events.¡±
Khefri seemed to agree. It was great that there was a place that increasingly reminded her of her old home. The chaotic city life of Freshka was very earth-like, as were all the various entertainment and food options.
She should return to her fellow hero friends. Maybe they too need a friend in her.
320. Act of God
Year 286
Darkgard, the demon world connected to the Dwarven World of Delvegard
The world of Darkgard was home to a demon mother nursing a growing demon king within its planetary core, and in a decade or two, she would launch an attack on Delvegard.
¡°There are two things we can do.¡± Alka said. ¡°One, we attack the demons directly, here on Darkgard and potentially trigger a demonic comet. The demonic comet is an extremely powerful countermeasure and it will require the entire Order to intervene. As it is, even with the full might of all of us dwarves here, it is unlikely that there will be a successful attack on the demon king at the current point, so that leads us to option two.¡±
The crowd listened.
¡°We wait for the demon king to attack Delvegard. There is a risk of some collateral damage in the second option. In the past, our preferred strategy was to rig the landing point with explosives and weaken the demon king so much that the high leveled Order operatives could crush the demon king. We can reclaim the demon world fairly safely after that.¡±
The dwarves of Darkgard had built, within a year, a large sprawling city filled with fortifications, and here, their gigantic war machines were used to combat the demons.
Save for the new dwarven city, which was now named Darkgard¡¯s Stand, the demon world remained almost entirely demon-controlled. Hordes of demonic spawning pools throughout the wider region would release thousands of demons that charged towards their new city walls.
In response, Darkgard¡¯s Stand had three layers of walls, made from the local region¡¯s stone and minerals.
But interestingly, the dwarves themselves realized Darkgard wasn¡¯t always a demon world. There were places, purged from the demonic blight, that contained old, ancient structures that were probably a few hundred years old.
There was a time when there were humans here. That was all gone now. The dwarves found these ancient civilizations to be fascinating and called them the Old Darkgardians.
For now, the Order existed as the final ¡®security¡¯ measure for the dwarves who wanted to prove themselves in this outpost. The defensive battles were a great outlet for their energy.
***
We¡¯d planned a few years ago to deploy my nodes across the peripheral worlds, but as of now, we had not yet deployed our node treeson the world of Triotuga, Caval, Twinspace, and the world of the Floating Islands.
The delay was mainly one of the finer details.
We were not exactly sure where the best place to deploy on Caval was and who was the most friendly to us as visitors. Just as Ebon and Edna had realized, the world¡¯s value to us was really in the chance to experiment with heroes. The knights and the hero-swords were a fairly limited value to us on their own, outside of the concept of a growing weapon.
I told Stella that I intended to allow Edna the chance to experiment, and she refused to talk to me for a month. But in the end, Stella demanded some safeguards to protect the future hero and a chance to mingle with the rest of the heroes. Stella and Edna took some time to visit the world of Caval. Stella¡¯s void domain wasn¡¯t a particular fan of the star mana used by the various hero swords of Caval, but she wanted to see it anyway, just to know why Edna wanted to experiment with it.
The visit went smoothly and Stella begrudgingly understood the merits of a growing weapon, but doubted the [system] would allow a weapon to exceed its original owner¡¯s level. I personally doubted that too.
For Twinspace, it was about a great cleansing spectacle, so the node was put off until there was more development on the demonic continent.
For Triotuga, we had some operatives on the ground building up our relationships, but we were likely to base ourselves on the human side. Triotuga was a borderline world, and we wanted to experiment on the boarfolk¡¯s demonic connections. It was a chance for me to test the extent of the faerie¡¯s control over my trees.
For Terras, we also had some guys infiltrating the three major island empires.
After the defeat of the demon king on Mountainworld, we redirected our attention to the coming demon kings of Caval, Triotuga, and of course Twinspace.
In the background, Hoyia was working on her plan of how to make the battle for Twinspace¡¯s demon king a spectacle. She had roped in Ebon and a few other level 140s to help. She wanted to make it a fully televised event. The magical ability to [scry] and [farsight] was well known, though they were often interrupted by the magical disruptions by a powerhouse like the demon king.
So in the past, viewing demonic battles was often choppy and the image wasn¡¯t clear. Mages who saw the demonic battles also found it hard to reliably share what they saw with their peers, though there had been good advancements in the past few decades such as some unique [shared vision] types of spells.
The challenges didn¡¯t stop the matriarch, and so at her funding, there was a dedicated group of mages researching ways to properly and stably [scry] a demon king battle, even while the huge amount of magical energies interfered with it.
In a strange twist of our old world¡¯s influence on this magical world, the initial versions were pretty much magically insulated mechanisms with really long insulated cables, which were then linked to a transmission artifact located far away from the actual battle. There were magical formations already able to convert light and vision into magical recordings, and they had been around for a while.
But there had been no real push to create interference-resistant scrying tools until Hoyia came along, which would then feed into a great spectacle on how the Temple of Aeon conquered the demon continent and freed it from the menace that was the demon king.
All in the name of propaganda.
I wondered if Hoyia gained a domain some day, could it be the domain of propaganda? Or domain of misinformation? A cultural domain of some sort?
It was an interesting thing to think about.
I looked at the rest of my Valthorns, and wondered which sort of domain they would get.
Of all of my Valthorns, Ebon stood out as the oldest of them and I wondered whether the system would be so cruel as to give him one that reflected his long journey to a domain. On some level, I didn¡¯t understand why the [system] didn¡¯t give him a domain. In terms of feats and achievements, he had tried as much as anyone else.
Then there were those who were hot on his heels. Hoyia, Blackthorn, and a few other Order operatives were all in the level 140s.
On our pantheon front, we continued to grapple with one big gap, maybe two. The first of these gaps was a lack of domain-level mages and wizards. As of now, Blackthorn and a few other void archmages were up there. Magic remained a realm where we still lacked that bit of extra firepower.
Perhaps, magic was just too overpowered?
I sometimes tried to imagine Stella at really high levels with her control over void magic. Maybe she could destroy or reroute the demonic paths through the void sea. If she could do something like that, it would truly change how we thought about fighting demons.
Even in spite of years, decades of experiments into manipulating the void sea, we had not been able to redirect the Cometworld. Maybe it took someone at the level 250s to do so.
The second big gap was one about crafters. The heroes had their [hero forge], but for the rest of us, our crafting abilities remained fairly limited outside of Alka. Alka¡¯s crystal-explosive focus did constrain the full scope of crafting. We had high leveled crafters who were now taking more combat roles, in order to get them closer to the domains, but progress was mixed.
There were a few of them who reached level 140s, but I wondered whether this was the right thing to do. Should we really get crafters to level 150 by getting them to fight demon kings? Did that lead to more combat-type abilities? If it did, it wouldn¡¯t really solve our need for more super-crafters.
Then, there was the problem with reclaiming the demon worlds such as Darkgard. We needed a way to quickly rejuvenate the reclaimed worlds so that they could withstand a return of the demons
Like Treehome and Tropicsworld, I¡¯d used the large population, resources, and supplies of Treehome and many other worlds to repopulate Tropicsworld, but even so the weaker ambient levels of mana meant the world itself wasn¡¯t as prosperous as the rest.
Was there a way to reset this quickly?
***
¡°Reclaiming the demon worlds?¡± Lumoof returned to Satrya briefly to speak to Hawa once more. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it. Those demon worlds have been stripped of most of its accumulated reserves and energy. Replenishing it would take centuries. In that time it¡¯ll have to defend against tens of demon kings. Unless it was freshly conquered, and its world core¡¯s magical reserves are still fairly healthy, it is not worth it.¡±
The odds of a world bouncing back from demonic invasion was slim.
***
Of the worlds I had a presence in, Tropicsworld really wasn¡¯t doing so bad. It probably had 30, no, almost 40% of its old strength, and I wondered whether there was a way I could independently accelerate this recovery. In some ways, I believeed it was already much faster than it originally was.
I am a tree. We are a force of nature, and healing broken lands should be well within my powers.
Could I amplify this further so that the captured cores could heal faster?
Out of instinct, I reached back deep into the various worlds I was in, like Mountainworld, Treehome, and Threeworlds and tried to call to their Will of the World.
I wondered, if the strong worlds could reinforce the weak worlds? Could the Will of the Worlds share their energy.
At first, there was nothing.
But I tried anyway.
There must be a way to help the damaged worlds recover so that they are strong enough. So that they don¡¯t immediately collapse to the demons in a case of re-invasion.
I thought of the challenge as a medical matter, that these damaged worlds were chronically ill patients, and I wanted to use transplanted blood and organs from healthy individuals to shore up these chronically ill individuals and speed up their recovery.
I shared those thoughts to the Cores I was in touch with.
Nothing.
It was not that they were not listening. The Will of the World always listened, and they did so passively through the worlds¡¯ many mechanisms. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Maybe, just like me, they needed time.
***
Year 287
The Treasure Ships landed on Port Tarfa, and the stores filled with gems and metals were hauled off the boats. As Hoyia predicted, the crowds gawked at the sheer wealth and resources of the stones, and the entire continent watched.
In their eyes was a mix of faith, validated belief, and greed.
The world was a dried field of grass, and she had brought oil and matches. ¡°Behold, my fellow believers. The proof of the wealth that was denied to us all, trapped here in the old world because of your old beliefs! The proof that there is great opportunity in the Promised Land. In Aeon¡¯s vision, the demonic continent is a promised land, filled with metals, gold, silver, and gems, and fertile land!¡±
And the mistress of propaganda was soon back at the affair of fanning the flames of zealotry.
¡°Now to prove that it is so bountiful that even this chunk of rock is worthless, come!¡± Hoyia had the rocks filled with unpolished gems to their temple and placed them outside. She touched it, and with the powers of her familiar, the giant gem-studded rock was shattered into thousands of smaller rocks. ¡°Believers, those who believed and contributed to the expeditionary fund, over the next few weeks, you will be summoned to receive some of these rocks as a token of your faith.¡±
The same day, many nations independently started their own demonic continent program. Greed was such a potent resource, perhaps more so in a world of scarcity.
***
On Expedition¡¯s Landing, the native zealots were able to expand further and deeper into the demonic territory, and they began to encounter stronger resistance from the demon champions that prowl the land.
This continent, the ¡®New World¡¯, was under the influence of demonic rule for centuries, and it seemed that the demon king had been around for a few decades. The truth of the matter was shrouded in poor record keeping and lack of a centralized way of checking when the last demon king had defeated the heroes.
It didn¡¯t help that not everyone got the ¡®announcement¡¯ when a demon king arrived, and for the existing priests of Hawa and whatever gods that would receive some notification, they were not really incentivized to record it or share that knowledge with others.
Ebon, like many other of his peers, was here. This was the last of the demon kings among the peripheral worlds, for now.
On some level, I wondered, perhaps, there was a narrative element to the [system]. That each of us domain holders represented a story. I looked back at my own journey and realized my rise to a domain was probably quite stratospheric.
Was Ebon, therefore, missing the story that would elevate him to a domain? A tale of his journey that would cement him as one of us? In other words, if we looked into the ancient histories and myths of our world, could it be that Ebon needed a unique myth? For Edna, Johann, Roon, Kafa and Ezar, I wasn¡¯t quite sure why they had relatively easier paths compared to Ebon. Edna, as a knight. Roon, as a sniper. Johann as a ranger. Alka as an explosives alchemist. Kafa¡¯s claws, and Ezar¡¯s fists.
Is it because they had a clear focus?
No. As Patreeck and my artificial minds digested the data, it didn¡¯t seem like they had a particular focus, nor did they seem better designed. I could sense Ebon¡¯s inner turmoil. With each battle, it still shook him. He was unsure whether he would make it.
It was a familiar feeling. Both Roon and Johann had similar feelings when they were struggling to cross that final barrier.
Ebon traveled alone, cloaked in protections to spy on the demon king. The demon king was small, relative to the other demon kings we¡¯ve seen, but it thrummed with power. It was about the size of a beetletruck that we used for logistics and held two large perpetually burning axes on its two arms and had two black horns from its head.
It was, in other words, the quintessential demon lord, without the demonic wings.
The demon king on the cursed continent of Twinspace seemed to have noticed Ebon¡¯s presence.
¡°It sensed me.¡± Ebon said, as we spoke through my spiritual familiar. ¡°And yet it does nothing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s waiting for heroes.¡± One of the theories we had earlier was that the demon kings needed hero-souls to generate sufficient energy for their mining operations toward the core of the world.
¡°Lumoof and Edna can take it.¡± Indeed, it may be on the slightly higher end of the demon kings from its energy signature, but two domain holders could hold it down. ¡°It may suddenly attack us, if it doesn¡¯t like our presence in its space. I should teleport out so that it doesn¡¯t follow me.¡±
The demon king was a presence we could sense even from far away, especially to my priests and mages who were attuned to how the demon king warps the presence of magic around itself.
***
As it turned out, Ebon was right. Hoyia¡¯s plan didn¡¯t go according to plan, because about four months into the demonic continent¡¯s expedition, the demon king began to move.
And it was moving quickly towards Expedition¡¯s Landing.
¡°What- the demon king is coming our way? What jolted it out of its passivity?¡± Hoyia said, but tried her best not to reveal her underlying turmoil. ¡°Wait. How much time do we have?¡±
¡°A day, maybe less?¡± The void mages working for her said. The way the demon king emitted void and demonic mana was something we could track.
She closed her eyes. It was too late to evacuate, and she didn¡¯t want to waste all her efforts. ¡°I suppose things have been going too well for me, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Hoyia smiled and did her best to put on a brave front. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what this demon king¡¯s got.¡±
She did her best to arrange for the mages to view their battle, with what little preparations they got and readied the rest of the forces for battle.
¡°My fellow zealots and faithfuls of Aeon.¡± Hoyia gave a speech as the leader of the Twinspace operations. ¡°It seems that our faith has drawn the envy and anger of the demons, and now, the demon king itself is headed this way!¡±
That caused an audible gasp throughout the rest of the zealots. Their power levels were far too low to defeat the demon king.
¡°But fear not, this is all but the will of the heavens. I have called on Aeon¡¯s warriors to help us, and I too, will take the battlefield with my compatriots.¡±
***
Hoyia stood with the Level 140s who were there with her. Most of them were ready, as well as they could be. But the fight against the demon king on Mountainworld was still fresh in their minds.
¡°Go and make a name for yourself, Ebon.¡± I said. A myth. A legend. Perhaps that was what they needed.
The demon king¡¯s presence was unmistakable to all those present, and without the domain holders to shield them, the zealots from afar trembled. These were believers who had never faced something as powerful as the demon king.
Hoyia held my greatstaff in her hands and was first to launch a set of blessings for the rest of her team. The few mages and druids in the team followed soon after, and the battle was on.
I watched as the Valthorns flung themselves towards the demon king. They were afraid, but they made the leap anyway. In the eyes of zealots, they could not falter now.
The domain holders were somewhat nearby and watched.
¡°A part of me thinks we should intervene.¡± Edna said. For her, watching her friend Ebon try and try again just worried her. Each time, just like Lausanne, Ebon tried harder. More. Better. ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t. We shouldn¡¯t.¡±
Edna was trying to convince herself. It was something they all were. They couldn¡¯t steal the fight from those who aspired to join their ranks. They could not rob them of the ladder that they had used to climb to their level. It was hard for each of the domain holders who had friends amongst those who were the level 140s. Like Lumoof, who considered Hoyia a peer, as one of the Decarches. Or Alka, who worked with many of the mages and alchemists present.
They watched them struggle against the might of the demon king. It was too much for them, even if all their equipment and tools gave them protection and shielding. Things that allowed them to tank a strike from a demon king.
The ax of the demon king slammed into Hoyia¡¯s greatstaff and flung the matriarch far away. She slammed into the fairly new wall of Expedition¡¯s Landing. The zealots gasped, but matriarch Hoyia emerged in a cocoon of hardened wooden roots. She lived, even if injured.
¡°I am fine!¡± She roared, defiant.
Ebon and the rest of the warrior Valthorns launched powerful attacks repeatedly at the demon king, and they dealt some damage. But just like Edna, it was miniscule. Weak.
Their attacks only lightly injured the demon king, even with all their power together. All their attacks are barely able to overcome the innate regeneration of the demon king. It would take a lot more than this.
And yet, the demon king somehow sensed or perhaps, was drawn to Hoyia¡¯s greatstaff. It gave chase and tried to hunt her down.
¡°Is this the point we step in?¡± Edna looked. There was too much uncertainty, but Lumoof touched her shoulders and held her back.
¡°No. Too early.¡± Lumoof cautioned, but I knew in Lumoof¡¯s heart he steeled himself for a real loss of life. Someone would die, in order for the rest to advance. That was how it was in the past. Maybe it would be the same here. Maybe it¡¯s Hoyia. Maybe it¡¯s Ebon. Maybe it¡¯s the dwarven mage Blackthorn. Maybe it¡¯s the others who he called friends and colleagues.
Edna shook her head. ¡°You won¡¯t stop me from preventing deaths. I will leap right in there if I feel it.¡±
Ebon and the few warriors stepped in and tried to stop the demon king from charging in Hoyia¡¯s direction. Maybe it sensed her weakness. Maybe it was the greatstaff. We don¡¯t know why it chose Hoyia as a target, but the rest of my Valthorns blocked the demon king¡¯s advance.
¡°No, you are not getting to her.¡± Ebon said as his weapons tried to chain and hold down the demon king. His sword cracked as he traded blows with the demon king¡¯s burning magical axes. He had gotten quite good at digging deep into his soul for the last dregs of strength and stamina. A part of him grew tired of it all, and he was prepared to let it all go to achieve the next step.
Lumoof looked at Edna. ¡°It¡¯s hard. I want to step in there as much as you. But they will be those who walk with us, and we must respect their determination to put their lives on the line.¡±
¡°I agree and that¡¯s why I am not going to let them die because of it.¡± Edna said as an army of lesser demons descended on Expedition¡¯s Landing. They were late, after all, these lesser creatures could not move as fast as the demon king. The zealots were not ready, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Guys, do you mind taking out the small fries?¡±
The four combat-based domain holders, Roon, Johann, Kafa and Ezar naturally understood and moved to deal with the rest of the demons coming their way. The beetle titan, which was nearby, also quickly flew to intercept the demonic forces. With the four and a fleet of flying beetles, the Valthorns could focus their energies on battling the demon king, to the best that they could.
For Lumoof, Edna, and Stella, their eyes were locked on the demon king battling it out with Ebon and the others.
¡°It seems to be drawn to Hoyia, for some reason.¡± Lumoof said as he flipped through his various types of vision. What was the demon king attracted to? Star mana?
We didn¡¯t quite know. Maybe, it was the presence of priests as a holy existence.
¡°Ebon¡¯s being just as reckless as Lausanne.¡± Edna sighed as Ebon stood and blocked the demon king with all his might. He used a range of abilities so that he was slightly larger and increased his heft.
¡°It worked for Lausanne.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°Success becomes an example.¡±
The zealots were enraptured, as they watched the Valthorns do their best to hold back the demon king. They were mere level 30 to 50 warriors, and the demon king was an existence far above their level.
Hoyia¡¯s greatstaff glowed as she channeled my power. A weakened version of my roots tried to chain down the demon king. It didn¡¯t hold it down for long, but the fact that the demon king needed to exert effort to break through those roots was a sign of her strength.
The rest of the Valthorns attacked the demon king and managed to weaken it slightly.
Hoyia tried her best to bless the rest of her peers and yet.
A miracle.
The Greatstaff. My greatstaff, made from my soul, drew power from the [system].
The power released at this moment was immediately familiar to Lumoof and Edna. ¡°This feels like the holy relics from Satrya.¡± Lumoof blinked. We¡¯d seen the divine relics of Hawa and knew that they distorted reality in a certain way.
But relics were relics for their ability to summon divinity, and we would later discover it was this sort of relics that allowed the Champions of Hawa to stand up against the demon king invaders. They were, in other words, borrowing power through stored faith. Relics, as it turned out, were weapons of faith. The stronger the world¡¯s faith was, the more powerful they became.
That meant Hawa¡¯s relics could draw on exceptional power on worlds where Hawa¡¯s beliefs were strong, but on worlds owned by demons, they were no more than special artifacts.
In other words, relics were defensive weapons, mediums of faith of the world they existed in. A shame they didn¡¯t exist in the far flung worlds where the people believed in gods.
Hoyia, Ebon, and a few other Valthorns at the moment were suddenly possessed by divine fury. Their bodies glowed in a way that was simultaneously my power and not mine. Because it didn¡¯t come from me directly.
¡°Well, what do you know?¡± Edna said. ¡°Hoyia¡¯s decision to request for a relic has some merit after all. You clearly should ask Aeon to make more.¡±
¡°This didn¡¯t trigger on Mountainworld.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°What are the conditions for using divine relics?¡±
The demon king now suffered real wounds, empowered by divine might.
¡°Fervor, zealotry, perhaps? If we compare Twinspace to Mountainworld, the immediate thought that comes to mind is faith. Given the existence of the World Faith System, there clearly is a reason why the old gods chose to move to it.¡± The knight responded. ¡°I think you need to go visit that old god again to talk about divine relics and how they work. It¡¯s not the power of the item itself, but what it taps into, and we should be able to do that too.¡±
The blessings of a relic brought the battle to a fairly equal state. The demon king suffered real damage, and incredibly, the damage dealt by divine fervor didn¡¯t heal easily. The demon king couldn¡¯t regenerate its way out of wounds.
But the power of divinity eventually ran out.
The relic was only able to sustain the blessing for slightly over an hour, but that was transformative.
In our eyes, the demon king likely lost half its strength in that hour of pitched combat, while Ebon, Hoyia and the others were drained.
¡°They¡¯re spent. I think let¡¯s clean this up.¡± Lumoof said.
Edna nodded, and the two domain holders walked in to finish the job. The demon king was slain a few moments later, and two new domain holders ascended to join their ranks.
321. Twin Ascensions
Year 287 (continued)
¡°What are relics?¡±
It was a simple question and came with a simple answer.
It was a fragment of divinity, and anyone who held the relic could then channel a fragment of that world¡¯s faith to create miracles. Miracles then took on many different forms. Miracles were things such as a sudden surge in the combat power of Hoyia, Ebon, and the others.
Miracles, in their case, took the form of the power to single handedly overturn the tide of battle.
Relics enabled miracles, and they were an inherent part of the old system.
¡°The old gods moved to the World Faith System because they all knew that faith was powerful. Miracles were there even before the first gods came to be, through things such as worldly miracles. There was a time when the people used to worship and believe in the power of the land and the elements. That was faith as well. Faith in the world, faith in the old nature before an existence like yourself came to be.¡±
¡°Faith is thoughts, beliefs. They are things in the hearts of men, and they linger within our souls. This is a power, even if unseen and untouchable. They flow into the aether, and thus empower the world as we know it.¡±
Faith was the fuel that existed throughout the world. It was how the old masters exceeded their inherent level limitations.
Faith existed, with or without the World Faith System.
Relics were conduits. A connection to something more that took the form of gods, systems, and the Wills of the World. This connection relied on faith to fuel its effects.
With all three, a relic, the faith of their user, and a world where there was sufficient faith flowing about, they enabled such miracles to occur.
The old gods defended their core worlds with the use of relics and special champions empowered with multiple relic-grade items. It was likely the faith point cost of such an act was significantly cheaper than summoning heroes, and they would have more control.
In other words, they¡¯d managed to reliably trigger miracles in order to defeat the demon kings.
In a similar way, Hoyia¡¯s use of a relic enabled a miracle.
She was a few levels behind Ebon, but triggering this miracle made her gain many, many levels. Enough that she reached Level 150.
The matriarch¡¯s choices were limited. Only two choices, but to her, it might as well be one.
[Subdomain of Aeon - The Burning Tree. This subdomain channels the power of believers, grants the ability to sense the zeal of zealots and empower zealots. It is stronger in worlds with high levels of faith and weaker in worlds with no faith. The Burning Tree is able to temporarily condense the levels of its believers into the domain holder, to significantly increase their own power. The maximum increase in level is two times the current level. In addition, the Burning Tree is able to enter Sacrifice Form, where the user gains a temporary tripling of power for a period of three days. Once the use of power expires, the user will die and be eligible for resurrection. If the user dies this way, resurrection will take twice as long to complete]
Hoyia considered it to be a defensive choice, strong in worlds with high faith, and the Sacrifice Form seemed exceptionally powerful in emergencies.
[Domain of the Heartshaper. This domain channels one¡¯s ability to shape the thoughts and hearts of those around it. The user is inherently able to sense the emotions, thoughts, fears and weaknesses of those around them, and form direct connections to reassure those around them.
This domain holder can enthrall others who are of a slightly lower level, and the enthralled individuals will obey all commands of the domain holder. The Heartshaper can cause those enthralled to enter ¡®Berserker¡¯ form, where they gain a large increase in strength equal to 50% of their levels, though without the skills and abilities of the higher levels. The enthralled individuals can be broken out of their controlled state with sufficient time. Other Domain holders are immune to effects of the Enthrall]
It was an option that reflected her recent actions, of how she manipulated her believers and her reputation in the non-believer nations as the great seductress.
It was powerful in its own way, but Hoyia knew what her choice was.
The other individual, Ebon, also finally crossed the level threshold.
¡°You did it.¡± Hoyia approached the knight.
¡°Well, you too.¡± Ebon took off his battered knight¡¯s helmet and gave a long sigh of relief. The man was old, but the influence of the domain had begun to de-age him. ¡°It¡¯s- I almost thought it wouldn¡¯t happen.¡±
¡°Well, that was a miracle.¡±
¡°Do you think they¡¯ll let us replicate it?¡± Ebon wondered. ¡°Aeon¡¯s gotta make more of those relics for the others to step into the final realm.¡±
Hoyia paused as she thought about it and then shook her head. ¡°I believe, even if indirectly, that there is a penalty for taking the known path.¡±
¡°Heh. We are lucky, then.¡±
¡°That is so. What options did you get?¡± Hoyia asked.
The knight had three choices.
[Domain of the Knight-Trainer - This domain¡¯s focus is on training and perseverance. It excels at training others and can formally take up to three students as a [Domain¡¯s Squire], who are granted a significant experience boost, and a single non-rechargeable instant respawn ability. The respawn ability will not apply to those above Level 100. The effect of the experience boost is significantly stronger in older, more mature students. In addition, the domain holder will be able to sense and influence the type of skills and classes of students and also remove unwanted classes. While in the presence of students, the Knight-Trainer gains significant defensive abilities and can protect students from harm.
In addition, the Knight-Trainer gains a passive boost to overall abilities and strength proportional to the number of levels gained by the [Domain¡¯s Squire] while under their tutelage. If the squires eventually ascend to a [domain] of their own, the Knight-Trainer will receive a special skill based on the [domain] of their students.]
[Domain of the Enduring Knight - This domain has a focus on long, pitched battles, and can name a target as a ¡®marked¡¯ target. The domain knight¡¯s regeneration, and overall strength will increase at a stepped basis, relative to how long a marked target remains alive during battle and the target¡¯s starting level. In addition, the Enduring Knight also gains an ability to [Lock] it¡¯s target, which enables the domain holder to instantaneously teleport next to the target. The strength increase can be up to three times the current level of the domain knight. It will take about half a day for the effect to reach a 50% increase in power, a full day for a doubling of power, and five days for an effective increase equal to three times of the current level. However, if the Enduring Knight or the Marked Target leaves the battle during this time frame the timer is reset. This domain will also significantly enhance defensive, healing, and also targeting abilities.]
This option seemed to focus on long battles against a strong, highly-defensive opponent. I wondered whether the targeting function worked for fixed, stationary objects, or only moving creatures.
Then, the last option.
[Domain of the Castle Knight - The Knight gains the ability to create and summon up to three magical castles, called the [Sacred Citadel], with their own linked artificial souls. These Sacred Citadels have their own magical summoned knight army, magical protections, anti-enemy auras, and facilities to heal allies and feed refugees as well as their own magical mana pool. All three Sacred Citadels can be linked and enable movement between them. Those with [Knight] and related classes can travel between the magical castles with no cost, while movement of all other objects and individuals will cost some magical energy. The Castle Knight can move to any of its [Sacred Citadels] instantly. These castles can have magical fixtures and items installed into them and will retain these fixtures until they are destroyed.]
The Castle Knight can also temporarily fuse with their Sacred Citadels to enhance their own strength, endurance and healing.]
¡°Well, which one do you think you¡¯ll go for?¡± Hoyia asked.
Ebon rubbed his chin, and looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t plan for anything beyond the end of the battle.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡± Hoyia punched the knight on the shoulder. ¡°But for me, it¡¯s quite clear what I want.¡±
¡° I¡¯ll need a few days to process this. A part of me still doesn¡¯t believe it and is more than ready to be disappointed once more.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
¡°Take all the time you need, friend.¡± Hoyia said.
***
Choices. We gave them time to think, just as we gave Lausanne. Now we had three of them at the cusp of their own choices.
¡°So. There are no more demon kings on the peripheral worlds.¡± Lumoof returned to the world of Satrya. ¡°How long do we need to wait?¡±
¡°I ask that you wait for two more decades. It will be ready soon.¡± Hawa responded through the communications relic.
Two more decades, year 307.
In a few years there would be a new wave of demon kings, but there was nothing to fear. Now, we could have a few years of peace. To rebuild, to regenerate the various broken cities, and to elevate their people.
***
¡°What will be useful for the coming attack on the demonic homeworld?¡± Lausanne approached a few of the domain holders one day and asked for opinions.
¡°We do not know.¡± Stella said. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to poke at the barrier to see what lies beyond, but during that brief moment when the Sun-Rings was damaged, all we saw was the demonic comet.¡±
¡°Since we are talking about the Sun-Rings, do you think we can try to break it down ourselves, right now?¡± Edna asked, perhaps a little curious of whether her own strength would be sufficient. The tale that I faced two [defender demon kings] on the Sun Rings was a fact known to our upper circles, but now, we had the means to deal with them.
As we are now, we would win against two demon kings at the same time. Three, even.
¡°We could potentially make Hawa¡¯s work harder, if we didn¡¯t destroy it immediately. The Sun-Rings could possibly gain defensive measures as a result of our actions. We don¡¯t exactly know how the demons repair their structures and whether this is a reversion to norm or it comes with upgrades. If I was the builder, I¡¯d rebuild with new countermeasures.¡± Alka countered. ¡°If we hit it, we need to hit it fully with the intention of destroying it in its entirety.¡±
¡°But I am still quite torn on what to select.¡± Lausanne redirected the conversation to her own dilemma.
¡°What do you want to do?¡± The lady of the void asked, and then decided to dip her feet in the ring. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d pick the Unchosen Champion, simply because the star mana potential independent of the hero class would be a good insurance against whatever stuff the demons have on the other side.¡±
¡°I had an inkling that was the case.¡± Lausanne said, ¡°-but the alternative is that I will have to wait until Hawa¡¯s item breaks the Sun-Rings, and that¡¯s a two-three decade wait. I don¡¯t think I should wait that long without the full extent of my powers.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, my dear.¡± Stella smiled back at the elf. ¡°You will not be the last domainholder, and so, if there is something we lack, we¡¯ll just have to train new domain holders to fill up that gap.¡±
Edna coughed. ¡°You make it sound like we got it figured out.¡±
¡°I think we do. Mostly.¡±
***
The void sea was immense.
Stella¡¯s void explorers, now that she had more of them, traveled further and further away, in search of the lands controlled by the other gods. The other half of our plan involved engaging other gods to fight the demons together.
¡°Well, anything?¡±
¡°Nope.¡± Stella said and went on with her usual statement about how the void sea was really big and it took a lot of time to get anywhere.
But I could tell Stella was partly bothered by the prior visit to the void layers. There were days she sat in her room making notes about her observations in the void layers, and she also made predictions about what was on the other side of that barrier.
A part of it is a subtle, but ever present nagging sense of uncertainty. We do not truly understand the demons, and the more we learn from multiple sources, the better prepared we will be.
Stella¡¯s void explorers played a crucial part in this information gathering exercise, and we needed to reach the other gods. Gaya, Neira, or even Aiva.
A part of me feared something else entirely. What if the void barrier wasn¡¯t meant to keep us out, but instead, something to keep the demons in?
I thought that was incredibly unlikely, since it is a structure controlled by demons, but the risk, however infinitely small, was not zero.
***
Alka returned to the world of Darkgard and continued to train the dwarves to prepare for their role.
Over the past two years, we¡¯d gotten fairly comfortable with the Delvegardian dwarves and began to send groups of them to Treehome and a few other worlds for them to experience life outside of Delvegard.
At the same time, we¡¯d also started the first series of technological exchanges between Treehome and the Delvegardians and also started work on the dwarven war machines that combined the resources, equipment, and materials of both sides.
We had advantages in terms of sheer levels, wider variety of materials, weaponry designs, and magical powers, but the Delvegardians did have details and finesse honed over a much longer period of continuous improvements.
As a whole, I still considered ourselves technologically superior to the Delvegardians. But there was no use hoarding some of the lower and middle tier techniques, and these dwarves had joined our Great War.
***
Twinspace
The defeat of Twinspace¡¯s demon king had a significant impact on the overall strength of the demons on the demonic continent.
In an instant, it was as if all the weaker demons had lost about one-fifth to one-third of their individual combat strength, likely due to loss of some aura or passive enhancement from the demon king.
Expedition¡¯s Landing, buoyed by the victory over the demon king, quickly expanded. With the threat of the demon king removed from the demon¡¯s continent, more zealots came over to the new lands and began a new wave of expansion into the demonic continent.
The druids and priests had to do some work to purge the lands of the demonic corruption before the lands were usable, but whatever was beneath the thick layer of demonic sludge and blight was fertile, mineral rich soil that promised a future of prosperity.
The gold rush for the promised land had begun, and even the other non-believing nations had begun to set sail towards the promised land. Ironically, the act of doing so only proved Hoyia¡¯s propaganda as right.
It was also much easier to recruit large amounts of zealots now that the wealth of the demon¡¯s continent was proven by Hoyia¡¯s few treasure ships. Each of those treasure ships landed with multiple gigantic rocks and stones filled with unprocessed gems and ores embedded within them. Some had unprocessed gold ore the size of wagons, and the arrival of these treasure ships were actual fanfares as everyone crowded along the piers to see what they brought home.
Of course, for those who were not a member of the temple, they had to pay a hefty tax to use the ports about midway between the two continents or risk sailing from one end of the ocean to another without any rest.
That was a difficult act and probably many would die taking such a risk. So in the end, the newly set up Twin Orders of Twinspace made good money charging high taxes on non-Temple of Aeon affiliated ships.
Central, the management body within the Valtrian Order, was partly concerned that the presence of a surge in material goods could heavily destabilize the economies of Twinspace over the long term. One of the exit plans for that was to remove some of that excess production and wealth and redirect them to the other worlds, where the economies were much larger and could better absorb that sort of mineral boom.
On the other hand, the relatively poor conditions throughout the main inhabited continent meant most of the resources went into improving living conditions.
***
Gigantadragon and Capra didn¡¯t give us too many problems, as the Order was quickly able to set up offices and buildings.
The local Caprans were rather welcoming, and it was a great relief that we didn¡¯t have to deal with a combative native population, though we did have to educate the Caprans on certain sensibilities when it came to some of our other Order races such as treefolks.
The Caprans nibbled and gnawed on plants, and they had a large appetite for food. So, they initially considered treefolks to be a plant. It didn¡¯t help that the first few times they nibbled on treefolks, they found their leaves to be exceptionally tasty.
The distinction between plant and treefolk needed to be clarified, and unfortunately, that made Treefolks ill equipped to work with the Caprans. The rumors of the Treefolk¡¯s amazing taste only spread among Capran circles and created an underground movement of people who wanted to taste treefolk leaves.
So, we sent lizardfolks and dwarves to set up offices and manage our outposts on Capra. Thankfully, it was only a minority, and the Caprans who were recruited to join the first few Order operations were reasonable, good folk who could resist such actions.
Gigantadragon¡¯s dragonlings were also quite easy to work with, and in fact, they were outright mercantile with their approach. They viewed the Order¡¯s offer entirely on a cost-benefit basis and quite a few dragonlings, who are a sort of half-dragon-humans, joined us merely to receive higher quality equipment and tools.
The initial mercantile approach did make us a little suspicious of their loyalties, but we soon discovered that the dragonlings were generally honest folks who worked and agreed to contracts. They had a culture of honoring deals and agreements, and as long as our agreement was fair, they would do their part without betraying us.
It also turned out that after a few good contracts, the dragonlings did develop some sort of loyalty to their employers, so it is not as if they were that easily swayed.
The Order¡¯s operative recruited about one to two thousand new soldiers and candidates for Capra and Gigantadragon respectively and sent them over to a few of the nearby demon worlds for ¡®practice¡¯.
It was a similar exercise as the dwarves of Delvegard, and through this sort of tests we could largely figure out how well they tolerated the expeditionary lifestyle, where they spent long periods away from home.
To my amusement, Caprans and the Dragonlings were both very tolerant of long periods away from home. Caprans, perhaps owing to their base as half goat-people, were tolerant of distant lands with very harsh environments, as they all had some kind of coping mechanism.
Even my existing lizardfolks, humans, elven, and dwarven warriors all had their own coping mechanisms. For some, that meant the construction of little outposts where they could let loose and be themselves for a bit. The armies rotated frequently to ensure that the soldiers¡¯ mental state were generally healthy.
For all these new outposts, they would be tested through smaller real battles against the demons, and over time, they would be exposed to harder foes on new demonic worlds.
It¡¯d be a long, two decade wait until the Sun-Rings fall, and when that happened, we would need an army ready.
With more worlds, we also started smaller scale manufacturing of crystal bombs and explosives. We had used up a large chunk against the demon¡¯s comet, and even if we no longer needed these bombs to deal with demon kings, it was still possible that there were more demon¡¯s comets and countermeasures of that level of power.
A few suggested that we speak to Hawa as well, to construct a relic able to destroy demon¡¯s comets without a need for so many different explosives. But now that I¡¯d seen Hoyia use my Greatstaff as a relic, I wondered whether I could do so myself and had the levels of power needed to do so.
I suspect the shift to the World Faith System was motivated by the potential they saw in these relics, and how they enabled and weaponized miracles.
***
322. Birth of a star
322.
Ascension
Year 288
Lausanne stood at the place where they made a tomb for Jura and looked up at the statue they made for him. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Many others died there, Tigashfall was now home to a thriving industrial facility where magical weapons were made by large groups of skilled craftsmen. Back then, the motivation was the harvest of the residual crystals and magical energies left by the demon king, but that momentum had sustained itself, and these days Tigashfall remained a large industrial center of the Central Continent, together with tourism for those who made the historical tours to visit the various monuments to the Order¡¯s rise.
These days, they were referred to as the pioneers, the new revolutionaries who helped the Order usher in the great moment of the Early Pax Aeonica of the Central Continent.
Founding fathers, as the heroes often said.
Some historical revisionists referred to Jura as the First Legate of the Aeonic Empire, and the term ¡®Legates¡¯ is later used to refer to patriarchs and matriarchs after Jura. Religious leaders.
Even if they were not highly leveled, they were titans of the past. Historical figures to be revered.
Internally, within the Order, there are those who referred to the current era as the start of the second phase, the era of Expeditionary Aeonica.
The expansion.
The public didn''t know. Many didn¡¯t, even if there were many within the Order who lived and fought with the first generations of the Valtrian Order.
¡°Hero.¡± The word was stuck in her head. She had wanted it, and she remembered her youth. She was so young and naive then, and she still believed. Somehow, she knew deep in her heart that this was a path she had to take.
Aeon¡¯s growing pantheon would be home to masters from many disciplines. The knights, the rangers, the snipers.
But Aeon never had his own hero. Someone who could wield star mana without the meddling influence of the old gods on their mind.
¡°Aeon said I shouldn¡¯t be beholden to the past.¡± Lausanne whispered. ¡°I think he¡¯s right. I definitely shouldn¡¯t.¡±
Now that both Hoyia and Ebon got their domain, some of her concerns faded. She would not be the last of Aeon¡¯s domain holders. If anything, Aeon¡¯s expansion into the multiverse would only require more domain holders. More of them, to keep things in a functional manner.
There was a role for her to play.
¡°But you know, uncle Jura, the heart wants what it wants.¡±
Aeon didn¡¯t need a huntress. Aeon had plenty of that already. Roon, Johann, Kafa, Ezar. They were all his muscles. But star mana was a field he lacked and had actors with potentially risky loyalties. When the other heroes failed, she would be the one there standing by his side, and she would be his hero.
¡°I will be an [Unchosen Champion].¡± Lausanne whispered mainly to herself. There were heroes, but Aeon needed an untainted hero by their side. Someone with star mana. Someone to touch the hero¡¯s weapons without the baggage of being a transplant from another world. Someone to bring the touch of the stars, if there were things beyond that void barrier. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it is the right choice, but it is the one that speaks to me. It would be the path you wouldn¡¯t think was possible.¡±
An act of defiance.
Maybe, even after all this time, a part of herself wanted to prove that Uncle Jura was wrong for saying it is impossible.
It was a marvel how few words became a formative drive in her life, either as a result of, or as a reaction.
***
Star mana.
She had used weapons that contained star mana in the past. Hero items, they were called. And they were these caustic, extremely dense bits of power that would be dangerous to anyone that was too low leveled.
Some better made hero items had layers to protect their users from the side effects from star mana overuse. For high leveled individuals like herself, she needed less protection from its effects. Her soul was stronger and could withstand the incredible power of star mana.
What was it like to be a hero, and what was it like to wield a power so chaotic and dangerous?
A hero could move mountains. Lausanne remembered when Colette and Prabu moved entire dwarven cities out of harm''s way.
The power of a hero was intense, as she felt her soul transform and bits of her own mana began to convert to star mana at her will. Interestingly, she could mix both and have pools of star mana and also regular mana.
The flow of power through her flesh was also immediate, as she felt as if the star mana instantly gave her entire body a layer of strength that she could only describe as divine. Not just that, there was a subtle change throughout her body as it adapted to work with star mana.
Now, it made sense why the heroes could take so much damage and still recover. Some attacks from demon kings that would¡¯ve annihilated lesser creatures only resulted in the heroes getting a bleeding wound. Domain holders usually started with a lesser version of this exceptional durability at first, though the other Level 200 domain holders like Edna and Lumoof gained powers that surpassed even the heroes later on, but what the heroes had at the relatively lower levels was truly unfair.
And yet, she also sensed the caustic, unnatural nature of star mana.
It was inherently toxic. Her soul felt like it was coated with a thick layer of constantly healing material, just in order to sustainably use star mana.
This was a power that was eager to combust and was inherently unstable. There was a bit of her soul that flowed through the star mana, as if intentionally controlling them not to decay and just being in the star mana state was tiring.
To borrow an earthly term from Aeon, this was an unstable chemical fuel, and it was only through sheer spiritual power that it was kept under control.
It was like an additional mental load, even if it was not much at first. But at some point, it would be exhausting.
She understood now why the domain allowed her to convert star mana to normal mana and vice versa. Being in the star mana state perpetually would eventually exhaust her. It was strange that the heroes did not feel it, or perhaps they did, but its effects were numbed by the powers of the [hero] class.
Maybe, this was also why the [system] allowed conversion of [hero] classes to lesser classes, in order for the heroes to have a way out of the perpetual drain of star mana. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
She had heard from Aeon that there were materials that are apparently known as radioactive. In her mind, it was just like a form of poison, and as she manipulated star mana in her body and her arms, she realized that this was a form of poison.
¡°The difference between poison and medicine is a fine line, Lausanne.¡± Lumoof smiled as he dropped in on her.
¡°This is weaponized poison.¡±
¡°Just like void mana. Stella had to deal with the side effects of void mana for years before she got used to it. In time, you too will get used to the weight of dealing with star mana. The heroes gain more and more star mana as they gain levels, I believe that too is a form of acclimatization to the nature of star mana.¡±
Lausanne nodded and realized how this seemed to be a feature of the higher powers. More star mana was a toxic, dangerous, easily combustible brew. Very much like the dangerous faith and zealotry that Hoyia manipulated.
Faith was likely to be incredibly dangerous to use as a weapon.
¡°I have doubts about how reliable this star mana is over the long term, its nature seems to be too ..raw.¡±
¡°Perhaps¨C but right now, I believe you are now the best person to experiment on their nature. If there is a way to purify or improve on star mana, you should be able to find it. Aeon¡¯s ability to manipulate star mana is fairly limited, and the heroes are so familiar with it that they do not have a frame of reference for what else is out there.¡±
Lausanne nodded and suspected that the heroes¡¯ minds were clouded by more than just the [hero] class. Long term exposure to the star mana could influence their flesh and bodies in some other ways too.
Indeed, being able to convert star mana and regular mana freely through her own soul was a power that enabled experimentation.
¡°There are higher forms of star mana, aren¡¯t there?¡± Lausanne asked. She recalled Lumoof describing the sensation once, when Cometworld collapsed. A higher, different form.
She later asked Aeon to share the memory of that moment.
¡°If this is true, I need to visit more collapsing worlds. I bet there are some out there.¡±
¡°Or a visit to Cometworld.¡± Lumoof smiled. ¡°There may be some residual energies someone like you can still sense.¡±
***
Cometworld floated through the void sea, and its speed did not decline even after destruction.
A sunless world, it floated through space in darkness. The skies here were nonexistent, though the void mages often came here to see beyond Cometworld¡¯s tiny bubble of reality and out into the wider world. The bubble was larger now. Aeon¡¯s presence on Cometworld also expanded that reality bubble.
Lausanne landed to find almost nothing.
Almost.
¡°I don¡¯t remember coming here.¡± Lausanne laughed.
Lumoof nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a place that people come to. There is nothing to fight here, only what remains of a world that went through death and destruction. The last vestiges of the Canari¡¯s homeworld.¡±
The Canari, the half-dog people. Lausanne met them, they were nice, but perhaps because of who she was. The Canari had a strange fascination with community and authority, their pack-like nature was still something of a stickler that prevented full assimilation into the Order¡¯s military structure.
She wasn¡¯t here for that. Instead, she walked and expanded her senses. Maybe, there was some lingering remnant of that different form of star mana.
There wasn¡¯t any.
But then, she recalled from Magisar that magic sometimes seeped into the rocks, and so, she walked around Cometworld and began to search the stones for evidence of that old star mana.
Here, she had some success. After searching for about two weeks, she eventually found a few stones that still contained a lingering, faint amount of that old star mana.
¡°It¡¯s been too long, and I believe it¡¯s mostly dissipated.¡± Lausanne frowned as she picked up the few samples that contained the denser, different form of star mana.
Its thicker, unusual nature was inherently fragile, and then, it vanished when prodded. At least, she knew it existed, even if she couldn¡¯t extract it from the stone.
¡°If that doesn¡¯t go well, perhaps visit the Three-Ringed World. The glow from the Sun of the Three Ringed World has potential for more studies.¡±
¡°Are you sending me on a wild goose chase?¡±
¡°Does it look that way?¡± Lumoof stroked his chin and smiled. ¡°I believe the exploration of star mana¡¯s nature is something long overdue. A part of me believes that all these different types of mana in the end converge into something.¡±
¡°Hah.¡± The new domain holder realized she had been played. ¡°I¡¯m not testing out your wild mana theories for you.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s just Alka¡¯s theory, I happened to buy into it and added my own philosophical variation.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s speculation.¡± The elf, however, did follow Lumoof through the portals and to the Three Ringed World.
***
The blue sun. The ¡®night¡¯ mode of the Three Ringed World.
It stood as if a burning flame raged through the three ringed worlds. Nightfall brought empowered monsters, enhanced by the strange energies of the purple moon
¡°This isn¡¯t the same energy as the one I¡¯ve seen on the Cometworld.¡± Lausanne said.
¡°Oh. It is not star mana, then?¡±
¡°No. The moon¡¯s emitting something else. At least, I don¡¯t think so. It doesn¡¯t feel like star mana.¡±
¡°Perhaps, a variant of Core Mana.¡± Lumoof said.
There were a few types of mana known to the Order. There was regular mana, which could be ¡®colored¡¯ in terms of elemental nature. Then, there was Star mana, which was what the hero used. Then, there was void mana, the fuel of void sea travel. Core mana was the power of the realm¡¯s cores and Will of the Worlds. Then, there was demonic mana, a perversion or inverse of ¡®regular¡¯ mana.
If regular mana was plain water, which could then be colored by the different elements, star mana was a water made of liquified, potentially toxic and highly dense star stuff. Void mana would be the inverse of that, a water made of black, dark matter. Core mana was then as if it was liquified mud and stone. Demonic mana was then dirty water.
Of course, these theories were still debatable, and Lausanne knew that within the magical community that heavily studied these things, the ¡®lines¡¯ that divided the types of mana became really quite vague and uncertain.
Was the mana used by undead a special kind of mana? The death-tinged energies of creatures such as the Osroids was technically still far under normal, regular mana. Yet due to the coloration, they did have some unusual qualities. If the ¡®death mana¡¯ was then considered regular mana, there were those who want to classify demonic mana as just a coloration or variation of regular mana.
Lausanne shook her head. The academic research into the unusual variations of mana was something that would persist. It was often these type of abstract arguments that made her head hurt.
Some folks wanted to flat out use Aeon¡¯s [Soul Realm] Colorations as a means to classify mana. After all, Aeon¡¯s Soul Forge had Blue, Green, Yellow, Red and Black, so some mage-researchers took the position that this was the [system]¡¯s own internal classification for mana.
Aeon himself didn¡¯t seem that bothered. ¡°The system has many ways to do many different things. It is doubtful that one system of naming mana would be sufficient.¡±
It was also likely that mana was such a common thing that it wouldn¡¯t surprise her that new mana itself could be created by powerful domain holders and worlds. Some mage-researchers predicted the existence of world-specific mana types, though they argued the rules of the [System] often constrained the unique qualities of these world-specific types of mana within still unknown limits. Of course, if this was possible, the corollary also supported the existence of world-specific variants of existing mana types, such as unique colorations of regular mana.
For domain holders and senior Valthorns, they were all regularly briefed on leading edge magical research findings. Though Lausanne knew from experience that they were often so dry and boring that not all members of the Order remembered them. Perhaps, only mages and those with related classes.
The hope, of course, was that for senior members of the Order, they were more likely to encounter these edge cases when exploring new worlds, so these findings would equip them with some basis to engage with such unique types of powers.
¡°This isn¡¯t it.¡± Lausanne said. ¡°Thanks for your help, Lumoof. I¡¯ll need to speak to Stella and see whether she can find me one of these ¡®near-death¡¯ worlds again.¡±
¡°No worries.¡±
***
¡°Near death worlds.¡± Stella repeated. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll look out for it. I think if we use Cometworld as a basis, it¡¯s likely that these worlds have unstable movements in the void sea. If we find any we¡¯ll let you know.¡±
Lausanne felt a strange presence from Stella, as if the star mana within her body wanted to pull away from her. ¡°Do you feel that too, Stella?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Stella laughed. ¡°I feel it all the time, especially around heroes. It¡¯s nothing. You get used to the sensation of the energies within you reacting to something. Our mana and soul is densest within our body, but it actually extends slightly outside of our physical body. This is especially true for domain holders who have this protective shell which prevents the outside reality from influencing us.¡±
¡°What happens if I touch you?¡± Lausanne asked, curious, yet her body and her instincts screamed against it.
¡°Oh, for you, nothing, I believe both our barriers will prevent something from happening. For non-domain holders though, not so good. I suggest you don¡¯t touch any of my void mages. They might suffer burns.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
323. Fermenting Nuts
Year 289
The Order gathered the data together and made a projection of the future demon king¡¯s invasions over the next few years.
According to Hawa, we would need to wait about 20 to 25 years for the special item to be completed, which we now nicknamed as the ¡°Ringbreaker¡±.
We expected that by year 290, the demon kings would arrive on two worlds, Caval and Triotuga.
On Caval, we would keep the demon king pacified until Hawa summoned a hero, if only to allow for experimentations of the nature of the hero¡¯s swords and further understanding of the growing hero items. With Lausanne¡¯s ability to use star mana, we would be able to use our own ways to experiment with the nature of these growing heroic items. The Order also wondered whether Lausanne could then replicate them to some degree.
On Triotuga, our plan would be simply to just kill it, mainly with our stronger domain holders. Our operations on Triotuga were mainly located in the human side of things. As usual, we would use our Level 140s to try to soften the demon king, before the domain holders stepped in to finish the job.
After that, Year 293, our estimates based on the strength of paths in the void sea was that Khubur and the White Shores would both face a demon king. On White Shores, we hoped to see our newfound ally, the White Statue in action. So, for the White Shores, we would not send over the Order hopefuls. Instead, it would just be a delegation of domain holders.
It would be a similar sequence of events on Khubur. Since we had made a deal with the Osroids, I¡¯d like to just get in there, finish the job, and get out.
Then, for Year 295, Terras the Floating Islands, The Three Ringed World, and also Delvegard would have their turn with the demonic invasion.
For the Floating Islands, we wanted to observe the mechanic of the demon king¡¯s invasion. According to the ancient lore of the Floating Islands, the inherent laws of the Floating Islands caused the demon king to spawn in a very specific ¡®demonic island¡¯ that floated high above all the other islands, and the demons would then invade the other islands from that main island.
The Three Ringed World had higher demonic king invasion frequency than the other peripheral worlds due to the two concurrently active demonic pathways, partly due to the unique nature of the three rings. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for us to deal with it.
The dwarves of Darkgard and Delvegard had an interest in the defeat of the demon king, and for them, we wanted them to feel like they had a part in this Great War. So, for Delvegard¡¯s battle with the demon king, we would get the dwarves to battle the rest of the demons while the domain holders dealt with the Demon King.
On the home front, Threeworlds would have their demon King much later in year 298 together with the peripheral world of Sarlpi and the Great Steppes.
For these three worlds, it would be the usual plan.
***
An organization of our scale has to constantly execute. There is a continuous, sustained execution of earlier plans. What I feared most, at this point, was whether we had begun to underestimate the demon kings.
We had seen many demon kings and had a good feel for their range of capabilities, but was Multipus or that energy-corrupting demon king of Gigantadragon on the higher end of their demon kings?
Were there even stronger demon kings?
Because, if this was what the demon kings were all capable of, how did they defeat the gods? By attrition?
Surely, those blessed with the powers of faith, and ability to wield faith as miracles could easily destroy such demon kings. If Hoyia and Ebon could manage it, surely many others could as well.
The Comets, thus, make sense. The powers of faith couldn¡¯t respond quick enough to fend off a comet, unless Hawa himself intervened directly.
¡°It costs me faith points to destroy a comet. Too many of these comets, then I would have to delay some of them.¡±
¡°Delay?¡±
¡°Faith points can do more than just destroy things. Creation of space, reducing speed.¡±
¡°I see. I do not understand how demons can ever hope to triumph against a god.¡±
¡°It can destroy the weaker gods with smaller core worlds. Without sufficient faith points, the demons can destroy them by sheer attrition, and as their builds scale, they can then use that extra volume to wear down even the stronger gods.¡±
Though for now, they appeared fairly stable. The odds of the demons winning were low.
So, our focus would be growing our strength.
But at the same time, since we were going to allow Caval to have a summoned hero, I asked for an alternative peripheral world.
¡°Let me see- Ah. There are two more worlds you may claim. They are a little further from this group of peripheral worlds and will need you to hop through one of my outer ringworlds, but it is also drifting away from me.¡±
¡°Would it make a difference in the time you need?¡±
¡°It should shave about three years off the time if you get to one of these worlds and destroy the demon king.¡±
¡°I see. Send us the coordinates.¡±
¡°I will bestow the coordinates on my representative, Olivia. You may get her to give you the details.¡±
Ah. A visit to see how Olivia of Olpash and the Emperor Erranuel on Shasan would be fun.
***
Hoyia¡¯s choice was fairly simple.
For a matreearch who preached the glory of Aeon, there really was no other choice worth thinking about.
She chose to bind herself to me, and it was once again, for me, a humbling experience.
I felt, as if in that instant, a bond formed between mine and hers. Hoyia¡¯s soul opened, and my own spiritual tendrils spawned within her, as if now I lived within and through her. I could, if I wanted to, read every bit of her memories and thoughts.
¡°And you are very sure of this?¡± I asked, unsure if she was ready for this immense commitment..
¡°I do not believe the [system] would offer it to anyone who isn¡¯t willing to make that sort of commitment and decision.¡±
That was true.
I found her choice brought about a strange balance to my spirit, as now I had both a man and a woman as my subdomains, a priest and a priestess. An avatar and a zealot.
A connection to both souls, and as a subdomain, it brought with it all the extensions that entailed. Yet, a subdomain also empowered the main domain.
[Number of clones increased by 1. You may now deploy one more additional clone.]
I suppose for every additional subdomain I could get an extra clone. Maybe more once they got stronger. When Lumoof went up to Level 200, he also improved my own combat abilities.
***
Year 290
Triotuga.
The demon¡¯s invasion had begun, and the boarfolks transformed into their demon-possessed forms.
The presence of demon champions opened a spiritual link that poisoned the land, and that poison then spread onto the boarfolks who opened their soul to that sort of demonic influence.
The boarfolks split into two. Those that controlled demons and those that didn¡¯t. The demon tamers of the Boarfolk, now overwhelmed by the powers of the demons, exhibited unique demonic abilities. They took on demonic forms with outer carapaces made of the same kind of demonic stuff as the regular demonic creatures. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
This was where we noticed how the demons were more powerful on Triotuga.
The demon-controlled [Demon Tamers] were now working for the demons, and the demon¡¯s champions used the [tamers]¡¯s powers to enhance their own strength.
Curious, my Order operatives quickly captured and incapacitated few of these [Demon Tamers] and placed them under observation within my biolabs.
Their spiritual realm was transformed by the presence of the demons.
In the regular spiritual spring, the spring with rocks around it released clear water into the world around them and in doing so nourished the body.
In heroes, there were these extra floating vases that poured star mana into their souls.
In the [Demon Tamers], these were instead vases of fire, and out of that came the fiery demonic mana.
The bodies of the boarfolk accepted the demonic mana easily. Our biolabs soon realized that the flesh of the boarfolk were adapted to demonic exposure.
We looked into their souls and realized that their mana was now split into two. The upper layer was the demonic mana. It flowed into almost every part of their body. Then beneath that was a layer of thin, unusual form of mana that separated the regular waters of their spirit from the burning demonic mana above.
We quickly tried to extract this unusual form of mana.
Only to discover it wasn¡¯t mana. It was a form of spiritual layer, where mana turned spiritual. A coating.
The look into the nature of their soul spring was enlightening. There were demon-geared skills, and these took the form of glowing red rocks. As if molten lava was frozen and encased in glass. They glowed when the fires of the demonic mana touched them. These red rocks emitted abilities that enhanced the demons close to them.
I wondered if these spiritual layers could be replicated, and I wondered how I could use them to manipulate the forms of mana within a soul. Not just that, could I use this to safely use void mana and star mana with massively reduced side effects?
If so, I could potentially introduce a newer generation of void mages much faster, without the complicated void mana exposure, de-curse, and healing under the existing process.
Also, I wondered whether these demon tamers operated and were controlled in a manner similar to the demonic parasites from a few decades ago. They were not. They were more like demonic spirits.
In fact, this was more like demon possession by a spirit as my old life knew them. A situation where the demonic spirit was more powerful than the host, instead of a mutually symbiotic relationship. A situation where the host or contract maker was a slave of the spirit.
Even within the confines of the biolab the demonic energies were constantly exerting itself throughout the body, while the normal mana of the boarfolk was suppressed beneath that spiritual layer.
I could see why the demons possessed them.
The power of the [demon tamers] made the strength of the demon armies much stronger, similar to how [beast tamers] like Johann could empower their animal companions. These demon-possessed boarfolk also added a layer of tactics and strategy to the normally reckless demons, though in actual combat, they attacked and fought viciously with no care or self control. They had fully submitted to the demon¡¯s power.
Fascinated with the nature of their soul spring, I commanded more order operatives to capture the demon-possessed boarfolk on a large scale.
We captured thousands of demonic tamers and with the help of [void mages], chucked them to my clones where I began extensive experimentation on them.
Quite a large number of these demonic tamers died as a result. For the rest that survived, I forcefully extracted the [demon taming] aspect of their class for studies.
I wondered, partly out of curiosity, could a domain holder resist the effects of the demon taming. Could a boarfolk demon tamer, who reached a [domain], overpower the demon¡¯s control?
The idea was fascinating, but actually experimenting on the idea was untenable. The idea of a Level 140 Valthorn under the demon¡¯s influence did not appeal to me. There was no way of ensuring that these demon tamers could respond to our command and remain friendly when exposed to the immense presence of a demon king.
Unless, I shored up their souls with our own presence. It was an absolutely crazy idea and the benefits were quite low, so after a few days I chucked the idea into the bin.
But it was interesting to observe the boarfolks with their [classes] ripped out of them.
The demon¡¯s ability to control them faded the moment those demon-linked classes were removed, and many looked absolutely puzzled.
I was torn on whether I should kill these formerly demon-possessed boarfolk.
On one hand, they had intentionally chosen the [demon tamer] classes and used demons to maintain power and wage wars against the humans and fairies. The boarfolks even maintained small demonic hatcheries in order to ensure a steady supply of demons.
On the other hand, without the presence of the stronger demon champions that awakened their senseless aggression, they were pretty much like any other society.
It was a problem that annoyed me, and so, in the end, I elected to release the class-removed boarfolk into the wild for now. I would observe them for a bit more before deciding whether the boarfolk should be eradicated.
They were much weaker without their classes. Some of them expressed shock, most of them didn¡¯t believe that they would wake up from the haze. They were hugely adapted to live in the demon-corrupted lands of Triotuga, a place that the humans or the fairies didn¡¯t want.
I reckon they only survived as the third force on Triotuga due to the terrain and were the weakest of the three.
The boarfolk encampments throughout their terrain were small and most of them remained hidden. The demons slaughtered boarfolk if they met, so it was not as if being one with the boarfolk spared the rest of their kind from the problem.
If by some miracle that the boarfolk [demon tamers] survived the destruction of the demon king, then they would be considered as those who survived a terrible storm.
But, the residue of the demon king¡¯s presence on their souls was so strong that many turned insane or became incredibly aggressive, even against their own kind.
In other words, if I wanted boarfolks to survive and be a part of regular society, they could not take the demon tamer class or any of the other demon-related classes. Else, they would have to be exterminated. But it seemed that the system remembers this racial bias and the boarfolk were offered the chance to be [demon tamers] quite regularly.
I did not want to eradicate their species, even despite their extensive demonic use.
So, in the future, I planned to have the Order offer the surviving boarfolk, any who wanted it, a chance to have their [demon tamer] and other similar classes removed. Anyone who didn¡¯t would have to die.
The demon¡¯s power was too dangerous, especially since they lost their own sense of self.
While this happened, the demon king finally arrived. The demon king was a fairly powerful giant beast. It resembled some kind of bear and had a range of elemental powers.
But its strength was in the middle of the pack.
The war against the demon king of Triotuga was swift. Lumoof, Edna, and my domain holders arrived and the battle was over in about a day. They gained a level or two, but nothing particularly special.
With the demon king dead, the powers of the demonic champions faded and the boarfolk returned to normal.
It was the shortest demonic war in the recorded history of Triotuga.
But the scars left by the demonic possession among the remaining boarfolk would take much longer to heal.
***
Caval
The arrival of the demons on Caval wasn¡¯t a big deal for the natives. Many of the towns and cities already had a strong standing army, and the generally high leveled knights, equipped with the heroic descendant swords, were able to defeat the weaker demons without much problem.
The demons that arrived this time were mainly land based behemoths that took on a few forms. The larger class of demons were big, golem-like creatures that resembled rough stone structures, the smaller ones were wolf-like rock demons. These demon¡¯s heavy natural armor made them resistant to regular weapons, but still vulnerable to the descendant sword¡¯s magical powers.
It was also Lausanne¡¯s first exposure to the hero swords.
¡°They call out to me. I can hear them.¡± Lausanne blinked as she approached one of these fortified knight cities.
Edna nodded. ¡°It¡¯s interesting, isn¡¯t it. Ebon told me he heard them once before, but now he can¡¯t hear them at all. I can¡¯t, either.¡±
¡°So star mana is behind it all.¡± Lausanne said as she focused. ¡°I see. The voice transmission is through some kind of subtle use of star mana.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°They need star mana.¡± Lausanne frowned as she recited what they said.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°The swords, they don¡¯t have much star mana left.¡± The domain holder hesitated to approach the hero-swords.
¡°I don¡¯t see why you should avoid it.¡± Edna shrugged. ¡°Feed them some of your star mana. They could be stronger that way. That helps our cause.¡±
The main hero sword vibrated as Lausanne approached. Guards tried to stop them, but they couldn¡¯t move in Edna¡¯s presence. A domain holder¡¯s presence was immensely effective in petrifying any guards with the weight of their levels.
Lausanne reached out and touched the hero-sword, located at the center of the square, with a single finger. There was a brief spark, and then her star mana flowed into the hero-sword. Then, the glow of the weapon intensified, as if it was recharged by a hero.
She blinked, when at that moment, a magical summoned copy of the same sword she just touched appeared in her other hand.
Edna clapped, while the petrified guards watched helplessly. ¡°Oh, you made a copy?¡±
¡°Not really. It¡¯s my ability to replicate the sword¡¯s power. I can¡¯t replicate the ability to create descendant swords, but I now have this sword¡¯s attacks and skills. I believe this is what a hero would get, if they actually touched the sword.¡± Lausanne made practice swings with the magical summoned copy and nodded. She then turned to the hero-sword, which settled back to its position, now fully recharged. ¡°Thank you.¡±
It glowed briefly in response.
¡°Would you like a tour of the cities? Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find all the nearby hero-swords and get them a good touch up.¡± Edna offered. ¡°I think Samuel did something similar when he recharged all the hero-defensive items.¡±
We were not sure whether the [system] would trigger a hero-summon if an actual hero was present. So for now, we decided to keep Colette and the rest of them off Caval.
The demons were easy to deal with. The slightly harder problem was keeping the demon king occupied without killing it.
In the end, after Lausanne¡¯s tour of the hero-swords, the domain holders decided to beat up the demon king until it was half dead, and then left Lumoof behind to keep it suppressed. Lumoof would regularly drain magical energy from the heavily wounded demon king, not enough to cause it to trigger its self detonation, but enough that it was occupied.
I wondered how many heroes would come to Caval. I hoped we could get at least two. That way we could have some experiments on how strong these growing weapons could get and on what influenced their growth.
324. Cavals Heroes
324.
Year 290 (continued)
Caval¡¯s demon king
Lausanne was first of all the domain holders to get a chance to hit the demon king. ¡°I get the first swing at it?¡±
¡°Of course. We are all eager to see where our own star mana domain holder stands next to the demon king.¡± Hoyia smiled. ¡°Go for it.¡±
In fact, we all knew she was eager to test out her powers. Lausanne struck the demon king with fury not unlike a level 100ish hero, and her observations were interesting.
¡°The star mana within my body subtly pushes back against the void mana of the demon king!¡± Lausanne realized why the heroes had a unique insight into the battles against their demon kings. The star mana in their body¡¯s net repulsion against parts of the demon king could be used to identify where the demon king¡¯s core was.
¡°That¡¯s a rather clever exploit of star mana.¡± Lumoof thought, watching the battle from afar. I thought it subtly resembled how magnets of the same poles pushed against each other. Thus, from the direction of that repelling force, we could triangulate the ¡®center¡¯ of the source of that same other pole.
Ebon, Hoyia, and the others soon joined in the battle. Well all except Lumoof and Edna who decided to talk for a little bit longer. The two were more powerful, and it would be a shame to rob much needed experience from the junior domain holders.
We speculated that the hero class likely developed an inherent ability to read those signals, perhaps to a much finer level.
That force only showed up when there was sufficient star mana to go around, especially if not obfuscated by many other competing signals. A demon king emitted many types of presences. A spiritual one, which governed some of their abilities. Some demons also had a normal magical core or in certain types of demon kings, multiple magical cores. This, usually, was the same as their spiritual core, as with humans, but it was not unusual for powerful monsters to have multiple such magical cores. These were like mana batteries and crystals split throughout their flesh, and they also emitted a magical presence.
Lausanne¡¯s weapons glimmered with the power of that incredible mana. Her blades were indistinguishable from those of the heroes. She could borrow the powers of the heroes and use them as if they were her own. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s only present when almost my entire body is flooded with this star mana.¡±
Back then, there were two real categories of hero-items. Some hero items could use normal mana and expressed a weaker version of its abilities. These were the type of hero items normally left behind as relics for their descendants as defensive artifacts for many ancient cities. Then, there were those that only exclusively used star mana.
Stella quipped. ¡°I suppose with you around, we can now tell apart what are inherently the [hero] class abilities and what are the [star mana]¡¯s natural qualities.¡± The void domainholder wasn¡¯t much of a combatant, but gaining levels required her to participate.
The two elements were generally pretty tightly packed together.
I had some limited star mana, thanks to my special star-mana collection leaves. What I had was about one, if not two magnitudes less than the heroes, and my own normal mana was significantly, like many many times larger than even the hero¡¯s pool of star mana. For me, my star mana may as well have been a tiny pond, next to my ocean of regular mana.
So, it didn¡¯t demonstrate any qualities.
It was like adding salt to an ocean. The ocean didn¡¯t get any more salty.
But now, we could make great strides into demystifying the overpowered abilities of the hero.
The demon king of Caval gave Lausanne a good fight and was probably above average in terms of strength. But once Lumoof and Edna stepped in and helped, the demon king¡¯s defenses crumbled.
Most demon kings we¡¯d encountered had multiple gimmicks. Of these gimmicks, most had a spiritual element. The demon king¡¯s spiritual template, in other words, was inherently vulnerable to powers of the [soul forge], and it was how Lumoof could functionally disable or lock down certain gimmicks like resurrection or split forms.
The demon king¡¯s best chance against someone like Lumoof was a pure-strength type of demon king. A demon king with so much inherent strength that didn¡¯t rely on gimmicks.
There were some out there, I believe. Multipus was pretty highly ranked as was the demon king of Gigantadragon.
I could tell that star mana¡¯s damage was really quite powerful. As Lausanne added more different hero-type weapons to her arsenal, I could only imagine her being far stronger than heroes at level 200.
From Lumoof and Edna¡¯s experience, the gain in their combat strength from level 150 to 200 was incredible. Edna used to just deal pathetic damage at level 150, and Lumoof wasn¡¯t much better without [Avatar].
If Level 150 was the starting point, then Level 200 was when Edna could not only match a full powered hero but overpower one and win.
Still, Lausanne¡¯s star mana gave her a huge damage edge over her level 150 peers which meant she was immediately more useful against the demon kings, compared to her peers like Ebon, Kafa, Roon, and so on.
This was clear to us during the demon comet incident. The rest of the domain holders had to be supported by an arsenal of high quality, extremely powerful tools just to keep Multipus occupied and slow it down. The heroes had no such limitation.
The battle was over. We left the demon king at less than a fifth of its strength.
The domain holders had overpowered the demon king and left it pretty much disabled.
Lumoof ripped off large chunks of the demon king¡¯s spiritual energies, and Lausanne, as a result of one of the hero-swords, gained a set of ¡®sealing-swords¡¯ type of ability. She used it, together with Lumoof¡¯s vines, to keep the demon king suppressed.
Now, we waited for the summon of Caval¡¯s hero.
***
One of the great validations of Lausanne¡¯s much larger pool of star mana was that I could then definitely answer whether the hero¡¯s star mana was potentially ¡®tainted¡¯.
I had a small amount of star mana on my own, but I wasn¡¯t exactly sure whether my Earthling experience or the fact that I also went through the hero-summon process as a byproduct influenced the qualities of the star mana.
A part of me suspected it wasn¡¯t, but again there was no proof. On this front, it was a relief to say it wasn¡¯t. Lausanne, as a pure, native domain holder with access to star mana, meant the hero¡¯s star mana wasn¡¯t tainted with secret ¡®bugs¡¯.
At least, the gods were not so paranoid to do so.
***
Year 291
Caval continued to face lesser demonic attacks, but with its demon king paralyzed and Lumoof regularly checking in on the demon king to ensure that the set of magical seals we placed around the demon king kept it suppressed, there really was no major threat to the quite powerful knights of Caval.
¡°Lausanne, I have a request.¡± Kei said to her as part of their meetings. ¡°The League of Heroes need someone who is also at their level to guide them. I know Colette, at the moment, has taken up the role as the ladyboss, but I want someone else to balance out her influence. She¡¯s also quite occupied with her family to actually spend so much time on things.¡±
Colette had decided to have a second child with Prabu, after her first daughter. Rohana. They wanted a few more, too.
I wondered for a moment whether this was how the very first heroes populated the world with humans, because I recalled Hawa once saying that the first heroes had no mental barriers or mental suggestions that prevented them from forging new families.
***
The wait wasn¡¯t long. A few months after the demon king was ¡®sealed¡¯, it came.
I learned of it through Hawa.
¡°Ah. The hero will arrive soon.¡± Hawa spoke through his divine relic, perhaps he could tell from the changes to his faith points.
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It happened just as quickly as I felt the world warp so slightly. As if the bubble of reality was twisted ever so slightly to allow a strand from the unknown to reach into the world of Caval, and through that strand, two heroes emerged.
I wonder whether it was because I was more sensitive to heroes now, that I could tell where they were without even having to rely on my network of trees. Caval, after all, was only home to a node tree. And yet I could still have a rough feel for where these heroes were.
***
Those that came through were a couple. A boy and a girl, both teenagers. They looked absolutely lost when we found them in the woods of Caval.
Caval was a sparse land, filled with large, unclaimed spaces between all the fortress towns. Lands that were sometimes filled with monsters. Trade thus followed old, familiar routes, escorted by the knights, armed with descendant swords, who regularly patrolled the routes.
¡°You two look lost.¡± Lausanne said, as she arrived in front of them. Her aura was well hidden in order to not scare them, but the two blinked. Her mana was now in its normal mana state.
But just in case, Lumoof followed behind, invisible.
¡°Uh, we are.¡± The two looked at each other and then back at her. They looked like they had something to say to the elven domain holder, but couldn¡¯t actually spit it out.
¡°I see. Then come with me.¡± The elven domain holder said and tossed them some food. ¡°You two must be hungry. How many days have you been walking?¡±
¡°Eh. Only a few hours, I guess? We were just sitting in our buses on the way home, when there was a moment where a truck looked like it was going to smash into us-¡± The boy said. ¡°Uh, wait, I¡¯m Perry. And this is my girlfriend, Sandra. What¡¯s your name?¡±
Lausanne smiled. It was all so familiar. ¡°Lausanne. Now, did you meet a guy who said-¡±
Sandra blinked and nodded furiously. ¡°Yes! There was this strange lady in a white robe that spoke to us. She claimed that we have been summoned to be heroes! But uh-¡±
Perry laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t feel very heroic. Do you?¡±
Sandra nodded along. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m hungry.¡±
Lausanne thought of easing them into the whole hero thing, so didn¡¯t want to shock them with flying dragons and all that yet. There was a carriage waiting for them nearby. It was good to talk to them on the way to the nearest town, which was just a few hours away by horse.
The first three days with the heroes, we mostly tried to learn about them. They were still horrified that they died and were thus transmigrated to another world, but, as with most heroes, they found their footing surprisingly quickly.
***
¡°First, let¡¯s start with spars.¡± Lausanne said, as she guided the two new heroes for a spar. It was nostalgic. Harris and that batch of heroes had a spar with Lausanne too, when they first arrived.
The nearest town was a small one, also with its own little hero sword. Lausanne, Lumoof, and a few domainholders had rented out a few of the empty homes to use as a base of operations, while they practiced. The world of Caval had some old traditions with heroes. Most of them involved a recharging step, where the new hero recharged the hero swords and asked for their blessings, often in the form of getting a ¡®copy¡¯ of that hero sword.
As expected, they improved tremendously, guided by an innate talent. Or perhaps, a talent guided by the [hero] class.
On that very same day, their [hero] class hit level 5, they got their growing hero swords.
¡°Mine¡¯s a lightning sword! So cool!¡± Perry said and got to swing it around. ¡°It¡¯s a Level 1 [Hero Sword - Lightning!]¡±
Sandra¡¯s power was strangely [Hero Sword - Dark]. Her attire and makeup had a strong, darker color, but it was strange that she had a dark-element weapon. When she demonstrated them, they were more like death energy, but without the undead parts.
¡°Interesting.¡± We didn¡¯t detect the [Class] detail of the hero when we examined the hero swords already placed on Caval. Perhaps, when the hero died, the hero swords transformed into a different state.
At low levels, the hero sword¡¯s power was decent, comparable to a weapon made by someone level 50 or so. But the speed of this increase was the same as the heroes. They gained levels as long as they battled. Some days, they gained 3 to 5 levels in a day.
For Lausanne, it was intimidating watching how fast they improved.
But Lausanne was not just someone around level 50 to 60 anymore. Today, she was a domain holder with star mana powers of her own, so she kept up. In both speed and decades of lived experience as a warrior, she could match and exceed them as she sparred. Anyone else would have found it strange, but for Sandra and Perry, their frame of reference was Lausanne.
And Lausanne learned powers from heroes, and that was where she encountered the first limitation of her domain.
It didn¡¯t teach her spells or skills that were generic, but made stronger by star mana. That meant she didn¡¯t learn to cast certain generic spells that Colette or Prabu could use or regular skills like [Shield] used by Adrian. They were normal spells, just made extremely powerful with star mana and also the [hero] class.
But, if they picked up [Heroic Punch] or something of that sort, Lausanne could copy it perfectly, though its strength would then be dependent on her own stats and levels. Similarly, she could learn both of their [Hero Sword] variants, but she did not demonstrate any of their hero-derived abilities.
That said, I also viewed it as a strength. It meant she also could empower her own set of generic abilities and make them into a star-mana enhanced version.
***
As they got more confident, Lausanne guided them towards the various demonic spawns and led them to visit the various hero swords using their status as heroes.
We learned that though all the locals were tremendously respectful when they were present, there was an undertone of pity. The knights knew, perhaps from their long history, that the heroes of Caval frequently died in battle. There were very few centuries where heroes lived beyond two demon kings.
It was a feeling we knew well, and one we saw on other worlds.
It took about two weeks for them to reach Level 50. Another month to reach Level 70. But we knew, at least from experience, that this speed would slow down dramatically.
***
¡°How are they?¡± Stella asked while she explored the other worlds. ¡°I still feel bad for robbing them from their homeworld. Maybe, the accident wouldn¡¯t have happened if the hero summon didn¡¯t happen.¡±
¡°Aeon theorized that in any sufficiently large world, like Earth, with billions of people, there will be hundreds if not thousands of children dying in car accidents every day. They may not actually avoid summoning anyone extra, but just pick from those who recently died.¡±
¡°I feel like that¡¯s just an excuse, though I suppose Aeon should ask the administrators that question.¡±
Lumoof chuckled, as the two reached a barren world. There were a string of barren worlds that seemed to have contained life at some point in their life, but now were stripped bare. The core was largely hollowed out. It was a strange miracle that it had not collapsed yet.
It didn¡¯t have the special star mana when a world was on the verge of collapsing. But Stella left a marker anyway. A little device she created filled with her void mana, meant to signal to her on the state of the world.
In this period of peace, we wanted to reach the other gods. Maybe, together, we could end the demons for good. Failing that, we hoped to at least remove its current, world-destroying form and reduce it to a regional threat.
Maybe then we would have a war between the gods.
Maybe that¡¯s why the demons were created. Somewhere far away and a long long time ago, a god got tired of the war between the gods and created an enemy so powerful that all of them had no choice but to unite against it.
¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±
***
¡°Level 100!¡± The heroes said, as they unlocked their star mana forms. All heroes reached this state eventually, a form where all their normal mana was replaced by the overpowered star mana, and interestingly, the hero swords were also at the same level.
In their current state, the hero swords were incredibly powerful weapons, but we also noticed a large, glaring weakness.
They drained the heroes¡¯ star mana extremely quickly. The hero swords on their own did not generate any star mana, so it drained all of it from their source, the hero. A part of it was stored within the sword itself, never to be used.
No, that wasn¡¯t right. We believed the hero swords were designed to survive beyond the heroes, so it had sequestered away some of these star mana for future use.
Sandra and Perry didn¡¯t think about it. They couldn¡¯t. The way they processed the world was at a surface level. Their minds, increasingly, as they gained levels, became obsessed with the demon king.
¡°I could feel it!¡± Perry screamed one night, waking up from bed in the inn somewhere closer to the demon king. ¡°It¡¯s calling me!¡±
Sandra nodded, her face was unnaturally nervous and pale.
Lausanne nodded. At level 100, there was a switch in their mind that kicked in and drove them towards the demon king. Their goal.
She had to sit them down. ¡°Perry, Sandra. Drink this.¡±
A powerful tea made from my leaves temporarily helped them calm down and helped them regain their mind. The tea worked well.
¡°You two are not the only heroes.¡±
That made both of them gasp. ¡°What? Where- where are the others?¡±
¡°Well, they are on other worlds.¡±
***
One of the questions we had in mind, at least with the other heroes, was simply, ¡®when do we introduce the other heroes to this group of new heroes?¡¯
Eventually the consensus was when they reached Level 100. Because of star mana. Colette hoped that any new hero should feel that they were joining them as equals, not as junior heroes.
I thought that this was a bit of wisdom from Colette, who clearly understood that some of the new heroes did feel a little intimidated by Colette and Prabu who were close to Level 150 as mage [heroes].
The speed at which heroes gained level all plateaued past level 120 or so. At that point, it seemed that the gods judged that they didn¡¯t need more power, so the effects of the blessings faded.
The gods didn¡¯t want their medicine to be too strong.
But for now, the heroes didn¡¯t need to know that.
***
My node tree on Caval was placed in a town with no hero swords. It used to have one, but then the hero sword was destroyed in a strange event, perhaps, as a result of overuse. So, it was a town that was almost abandoned.
The two new heroes made their way there and were finally introduced to the rest of the heroes.
And now at Level 100, the two new heroes added to the [Heroes¡¯ Journal].
I felt it gain even more power, as if that journal was at the verge of gaining some kind of sentience. Its stronger presence encased itself in a cocoon of powerful star mana. I wondered what would happen if a few more heroes added to it.
But with the knowledge and whatever contained within that heroes¡¯ journal, Sandra and Perry were reinvigorated, and their soul grew. They were now a bit more than before.
The demon king died a few weeks after that, killed by the two.
Two more new heroes now joined our quest towards the end.
325. Lull
Year 292
This year was a quiet lull for me. For those living in the various worlds, it was perhaps a busy time.
Twinspace¡¯s reclamation of the cursed continent continued with great fervor, buoyed by the promise of great wealth and resources. The rush was in full swing, and for those familiar with Earth medieval history, it was similar to the age of colonization with one difference.There were no natives to conquer and only demons to kill.
In the future, mayhaps this Cursed Continent would grow more powerful than the old world where the settlers came from. The results spoke for themselves, and the credibility of our temple was only enhanced.
Hoyia, at this point, began to preach about the duties of managing wealth and resources. The wealth and resources would first go to improving their living condition up to a point, but after that they should prepare for the return of the demon king.
Duty.
Twinspace likely had a 20 to 30 year cycle, similar to the other peripheral worlds.
In the blink of an eye, all the wealth they built now could be easily lost.
The promise of prosperity had a price, and that price was service. The Temple of Aeon had a challenging, but not unfamiliar task of transforming and guiding their flock to perform the service asked of them.
I believed Hoyia and her team would deliver.
***
For the remaining worlds, it was largely normal. The Order continued to grow on each, and we worked on training more members for the coming war.
***
The heroes trained, practiced, but most of the time, they lived their lives pursuing their own interests. For both Perry and Sandra, once the effects of the hero class was suppressed, it brought back old habits. Games, reading, entertainment and music.
The two were a pair, and yet I felt they were quite different. Perry was a lot more into sports and was eager to learn about the various types of sports available in this world of magic. Naturally competitive, he was quick to pick up local types of sports that didn¡¯t rely on magical abilities, though his supernatural stamina gave him an advantage others didn¡¯t have.
Sandra, on the other hand, was a lot more introverted and preferred more individual activities. Reading, entertainment, and the sort.
It didn¡¯t take long for the rest of the heroes to notice that their relationship as a couple from their old world likely would not last very long.
But as long as they were cooperative and did not create trouble, I didn¡¯t see a need to intervene into their personal affairs.
Year 293
The White Shores was a place I often felt strange to return to. Finally, they would now face a demon king.
¡°You can tell where it arrives.¡± The White Statue said, as five of the domain holders arrived. Lumoof, Edna, Kafa, Roon and Johann. Right now, it was a gigantic marble statue that somehow teleported from location to location, but this ability is dependent on a stone platform being in place. ¡°And your numbers grow.¡±
¡°As it should.¡± Lumoof answered. ¡°It is a war of attrition, after all.¡±
The White Statue looked at both Lumoof and Edna, and then back at where the whirl of demonic energy gathered. The White Empire¡¯s forces had handily dealt with the rest of the demons that bothered the Empire, and what was left was only the final piece of the puzzle.
Just like us, they had got it quite figured out.
¡°We would like to see you in action.¡± Lumoof said, as we figured the White Statue was a person that we should deal with in truths and facts.
We had brought a little separated component of the White Statue to the demon worlds through our void mages, but now, we wished to see its strength. ¡°You wish to see how I fit into your army and where I can be useful. That is a legitimate reason, and so I shall deliver my part.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Lumoof nodded, as the demon king landed. It was a large creature that had a body of a muscular lizard, with large spikes and interestingly, glowing crystal streaks throughout its body. Those crystal streaks emitted a strong magical beam that started firing the moment it detected our presence.
The White Statue glowed briefly, as it then transformed into an almost-living being.
It was no longer a statue, but instead, took the form of an old, bearded man with the body of a muscular wrestler covered in olive oil that was three stories tall and surrounded by a golden halo of power.
A statue that came to life to protect their people.
The White Statue punched with great strength and moved quickly. The stone man wrestling a monster reminded me of old myths from our home world.
But in terms of power, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell where it stood. This White Statue¡¯s form wouldn¡¯t win on its own. That much was clear, but it could deal tremendous damage and even slow down the demon king enough that the White Statue could return to finish the job with another statue form.
For added power, we noticed it had additional artifacts and items that granted it some extra punch in every hit. It had an array of amulets that were clearly hero items, and it gave the White Statue a protective shield to take hits from the demon king.
The giant wrestler and the demon king fought for a while, but we saw enough.
Edna didn¡¯t need to say it, but we knew that Edna was stronger than the White Statue in combat. It affirmed what we knew about the White Statue. ¡°It probably chose a slightly more survivable skill set such as the Statue-Regeneration so that it could win after enough battles.¡±
Edna and Lumoof both decided it was appropriate to assist. ¡°We will now step in.¡±
The demon king died under the might of my power and Edna¡¯s attacks.
[You¡¯ve gained a level]
The White Statue seemed to have got the note. ¡°I appreciate the assistance. The destruction of the nearby towns has been avoided. In normal times I believe it would be in my 3rd battle before I brought that creature down, and there¡¯s about two to three weeks before I could battle again. I see more merit in my offer to assist you in the battle against the demons and wish to reiterate my intention to join.¡±
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I understood.
It would not be a full alliance. Instead, a mutual assistance arrangement, and if it so volunteered, the White Statue would assist us in battles against the demons.
We also wanted to know whether it had any expansionary tendencies and intention, and we asked it.
It did.
¡°Yes. If the wider world is as rotten as you say it is, our presence in these worlds will help. These worlds would benefit from regimented tasks, organization, and the excess resources of my world. Likewise, the philosophers and leaders of my people should be able to learn from these worlds. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement.¡±
Stella had earlier made it clear she didn¡¯t like this. We were facilitating colonialism, even if for the right reasons.
The White Statue seemed to sense our concerns. ¡°Our ways may differ, but our intent is to help. At the moment, you have a right to dictate who you choose to assist, but the wider world deserves more than just one type or method of assistance. I trust my men, and I know that with my influence, they will act in the way they should. Some worlds would benefit from the presence of me and my people, more than yours. When we encounter such worlds, I ask that our views are fairly heard and debated, rather than be outright denied.¡±
Stella was travelling and hopping through worlds, in search of more worlds to join us in our battle. Even so, the White Statue¡¯s request was reasonable enough. I did not disagree with hearing them out on a case-by-case basis.
***
For the world of Khubur, the demon king came and went. It died the day it arrived, my domain holders eager for more experience and levels. The Osroids said nothing, and for the human-inhabited side of Khubur, it was as if nothing happened.
We spoke with Gideon, the hero of Osroids once more. He remained unwilling to leave and instead preferred to tend to his family.
So, we gave him space. There was no need for us to impose a duty on someone who did not want it, when we had other options.
***
Year 294
Time ticked on by.
We didn¡¯t have demon kings this year, though demons did appear in a few more worlds.
Year 295
Three worlds faced the brunt of the demons.
Terras, the land of the floating islands. Gyroworld, the world with the three rings. Delvegard, with the demons.
Delvegard was of most interest to me, because it was where we would see the difference in how the world fared. The presence of the demons awakened an old fear in the dwarves.
Their arrival littered the world with the presence of rift gates, and the demons were poisonous, infested creatures that resembled giant apes carved out of swamp stuff. They radiated a thick poisonous fog as it walked.
The last few years, we had significantly slowed down our recruitment of the dwarves, simply because we had gotten most of those we wanted, and there was no point growing if those present were not properly incorporated into a fighting force.
Recruitment shifted to training.
And the dwarves that joined the Order were eager to prove their worth. So, armed with knowledge and training and most importantly, anti-demonic combat experience, they returned to Delvegard to save their fellow dwarves.
Many had gained levels in the long war on Darkgard against the demons of the demon-controlled world.
Here, the Darkgardian dwarves proved their worth as a coherent, experienced, and united fighting force.
Those who joined us could tell how we saved life. How they freely moved from location to location unhindered by the silly boundaries and lines drawn on maps by the local dwarven lords and kings. The local¡¯s defense force would not step out of their own territory to save others.
The local rulers were quick to blame the vanished dwarves as the cause for the suffering. That those that chose to fight the great war left them defenseless. But at this point, even those who chose to stay behind to work for the existing dwarven lords could tell that those claims were untrue.
They knew they were helping, because with the aid of void mages and also regular teleportation magic, they crushed the demons as soon as they arrived with overwhelming force. Their gigantic war machines deployed to do battle against demonic champions.
It worked well.
The demon king came and died. Just to showcase how different the ways we could fight against the demon king, we demonstrated to the Darkgardian Dwarves how we triangulated the demon king¡¯s arrival location and planted large quantities of magical mines.
The explosion significantly softened the creature, where it was then finished off by the level 140 Valthorns, and also my domain holders.
No one got their domain. Not yet.
***
We repeated the affair in Gyroworld and killed the demon king there too. An average demon king, as it went.
***
Then, we redirected our attention to the demon king of Terras. The world of the Floating Islands imposed its unusual laws on the presence of the demon king, and then, a massive demonic island loomed overhead above everyone else.
Smaller islands then emerged that created a series of steps that connected the various islands together.
It was an unusual law of the realm that indirectly protected the floating islands from the full wrath of the demons. Forcing all the demon¡¯s arrivals onto a specific island, and then, the demons would have to travel normally from that island down into the other islands.
The three great empires of Terras raised armies. Fleets of flying ships armed with magical weapons to guard their segment of territory from the demon kings.
It was beautiful, and we allowed it to play out for a bit, only to see how things happen in this world.
After we¡¯d seen enough, we sent our forces in to destroy the demon king.
A part of me wondered what would happen if someone other than the hero defeated the demon king on a world with magical laws such as the Floating Islands.
But luckily nothing much happened. The demon king died, and the island that was once the demonic island began to drift. It was much higher up, vertically, above all the other islands, which were largely confined to a small horizontal plane.
Once the demon king died, the laws that held its place loosened, and it moved.
It drifted to the very edges of the world, where it then crumbled and separated into multiple smaller demonic islands. I suspected that the Floating Islands world was thus fairly young, since it had a mechanism that used the demon kings as a trigger for the creation of new islands.
Our presence on Terras, the world of the floating islands, was in the form of a recruitment office, and for now, we chose to remain largely hidden. We operated by locating talented individuals and directly offering them a chance to try something different.
Naturally, this was viewed with suspicion.
***
Year 296
Time passed. A few more decades to tick on. I wondered what was behind the veil.
What sort of retaliation awaited us?
¡°What sort of demons do you face?¡± I asked Hawa. I wanted to know what we had to deal with.
¡°The Comet is a common one. I deal with a comet every one or two centuries.¡±
¡°Other than that?¡±
¡°I do not know. When I was a much younger god, there were tales of more powerful types of demon kings, but I have not seen them. Perhaps, they are chained to the worlds that created them.¡±
¡°What was it like? That era?¡±
¡°It is very much like today. Only, denser. The old gods used to be able to speak to each other. Before we all drifted too far apart. But even though we could speak to each other, I could count our interactions with one hand. In fact, I believe our interactions with each other far surpassed my interactions with the old gods.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why not? Our powers allow us to hide away.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t you hide away?¡±
¡°Perhaps, boredom.¡± Hawa answered bluntly. ¡°Aeons passed, only for more of the same.¡±
¡°I appreciate that I help sate your boredom.¡±
¡°At the very least, you offer a chance for real change. Wait a bit more, the weapon will be ready in slightly over a decade.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
I closed my senses, albeit temporarily.
I shut out all the inputs.
Silence.
I saw, in visions, the worlds then passed me by, as if they were nothing more than little iterations of various scenes from my past, played out in slightly different variations.
Weapons made, powers stored. The time approached for us to venture into the demon¡¯s realm.
326. Lull 2
326
Year 297
On Triotuga, the Order expanded their influence in the human kingdoms, while they prepared to wage war against the faeries. The faeries, unfortunately, were hostile and did not regard the demons as a problem.
They saw us, the Order, as an affront to their entire way of life. They were used to faeries at the top of their social order and political order, and so they did not consider any other option than to declare us enemies. Enemies that they killed on sight.
That was a shame.
I didn¡¯t like destroying entire races, but if many of them were hostile, I would have to enforce some form of quarantine on them.
Alternatively, I could step away from Triotuga. I didn¡¯t really need to deal with them. They have no ability to hurt me directly, only my people on their planet.
***
Year 298
Demon Kings. At this point I had lost count how many battles I participated in. It didn¡¯t quite matter, anymore. I wasn¡¯t really gaining levels from them. Even if Lumoof stood against a demon king with no assistance, we were at the point where we just were not gaining levels.
I wondered, briefly, whether my resurrection ability significantly affected how they gained experience. After all, if you could restart endlessly, would that actually reflect the overall real difficulty of the task?
Patreeck and my artificial minds quickly put the data points together, and from a high level estimate, there seemed to be some difference. A slight, not particularly large difference in the rate of experience gained before and after the resurrection domain ability.
***
Magical research was a continuous, never ending affair.
Every day there were hundreds of Order mages and crafters who were dedicated to the art of creating stronger, more powerful weapons and tools for our expansion. Often, as a side effect of this pursuit of more powerful tools and equipment, the research led to accidental discoveries that would help improve the quality of life of the average citizen.
Supplements were one of these improvements. The military used supplements to improve physical strength, memory, and all the other stuff. In the very early days of New Freeka, we had started with special mixtures of juices that helped improve survivability in young infants and saplings.
It was a practice that caught on, and now there were various guilds and industries trying to sell some kind of magical serum that could improve their physical strength and abilities beyond what their normal levels.
Such marketing propaganda often stepped too far, and the Order had to step in to quell malicious, outright exploitative marketing. Despite this, the use of such magical elixirs proliferated. Even in the old days, alchemists and potion makers made brews that had temporary mental effects, though they were often reserved for the elite who had a test or something extra.
There was a point within the Freshlands Treetiary College where the Chancellor of the College had to regulate the use of such stimulants.
It was strangely, a city thing. Demand for such additional boosts to their abilities was often a result of a dense, hyper-competitive environment. The fact that the Order¡¯s own elites used these types of supplements extensively under the watch and supervision of an army of druids, healers and mages, and also the presence of my familiars was often forgotten.
Most of these elixirs were often diluted versions of more powerful, often, rare materials created by highly skilled alchemists. Adventurers, who still regularly ventured into various dungeons all over Treehome, were often engaged by the various alchemical guilds to procure more raw materials for their lucrative supplements and stimulant trade.
All in search of that extra bit of advantage.
Patreeck observed that there was a particular trend of consuming such things especially among individuals around level 80 and those who had not received a level-breaking seed, both within the Order and also in external individuals. Those close to that barrier needed something beyond their levels.
The dungeons, many of them created through magical leylines of Treehome¡¯s core, continued to ¡®generate¡¯ treasure.
The mages that studied the dungeons of Treehome, Mountainworl, and Threeworlds, connected our discovery of Treehome¡¯s sister planet, Shrubhome, and concluded that dungeons functioned as a lesser version of the world¡¯s creation process.
The dungeons went through an additional step, but I believe the reason why we could not look into the nature of a dungeon was due to the presence of these void shenanigans. Even now, in dungeons that I created with my ability, I could not observe them directly, but instead only influence their content through the parameters defined by my ability.
Extending that idea, Shrubhome was a creation that existed within the void, and through some system shenanigans, it was created into the world.
Dungeons, who were connected to the planet¡¯s core via the magical ley lines, seemed to tap into the same effect to ¡®generate¡¯ monsters, treasures, and plants. These things that did not exist before were spawned.
It made me wonder whether we could trust the histories of anything that were found in dungeons, due to their ¡®generated¡¯ nature.
Are we all living in some kind of gigantic universe sized dungeons, and it was just more dungeons whichever direction we went? We knew from the void layers that worlds existed in these great primordial soup as a work in progress, and there were keys.
Thus, were the layer-barriers we faced the way to exit to the higher ¡®layer¡¯ of the dungeon?
Anyway, I digressed.
These dungeons generated multiple oddities, and what was produced within them continued to evolve over time, even if the change was miniscule at first. Over the decades, my minds noticed that the dungeon began to generate objects that were created about three to five decades ago. Copies of old objects could be found, replicas discovered by the adventurers.
Replicas, with real powers and abilities. Yet, I knew they were not the real creation, because my artificial minds had seen the real things destroyed. It suggested that the system retained memory of all things, both past and present, and possibly, even the future.
The multiverse had repetitions in methods, but at different scales.
Dungeons, generated smaller things. Objects. Artifacts. Planets and realms generated monsters. Terrain. People. Then the void sea itself generated entire planets from nothing. Then, was there something even bigger than the void sea?
¡°You¡¯re going off track again.¡± Lumoof said as he somehow tapped into my idle musings. I was on a routine review of all the various developments throughout the world.
Just like the use of supplements, the development of entertainment mediums and communication methods now encouraged the development of more powerful ways of transferring information from one place to another.
One of the recent great inventions in the field of communication was something called the ¡®[twinned pendulum]¡¯. It was a magical object where both pendulums would swing at the same speed and movement. Moving one would result in the other being moved and vice versa. After a message was sent, it would revert to a default state.
It was enabled by the discovery and incorporation of the Sunmetals from Delvegard into the crafts of Treehome.
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In other words, the movement of the pendulums could be used to encode messages, in a form of ultra fast communication. The ¡®twinned¡¯ pendulum linked to a machine that interpreted position and swing based on a pre-agreed code, and thus, messaging.
Without having to use someone with the special skills or the magical spell [message], it was now possible to enable communication.
It didn¡¯t work outside of the same realm, however. The magic that entangled the two objects together only worked when both existed in the same realm and could not pierce through the void sea.
The Order was suspicious, at first. For the Order, the operatives relied on the artificial minds to transmit messages to each other. The artificial minds often required an interface, usually someone with a familiar of mine or a druid, who could send their message via my [Rootnet]. This gave comparable speed to the Pendulum communications network.
Even the mages themselves used [message], or for many others, they relied on magical artifacts that helped communication with each other.
But alternatives had value, and the new magic-technology, even in its current rudimentary state, the length of message of what could be sent and what could be sent through these pendulums were limited.
Still, I saw that it was a precursor to the telecommunications era. The magical equivalent of that moment in time when telegraphs first appeared. The ability to send Morse code through copper wires.
The level 60 craftsmen and his workshop that made these objects didn¡¯t even see the value at first, but the merchants who were eager for an advantage in the trading markets and wanted to exploit price differentials between locations could imagine its potential uses.
For the various guilds, the current methods of communication were not a great arrangement. Painful, even.
Their current process employed mages, in various capacities, to deliver [messages]. A process that often resulted in leakage and corruption. Even if they were kept in their personal employ, mages were already an expensive resource to train and maintain, and having multiple mages in each of a merchant guild¡¯s multiple trading locations was prohibitively expensive. Mages also would shift employers regularly, and that ate into merchant profits.
In short, mages were not loyal and moved to where they made most profits. They were also flighty as independent contractors, since they enjoyed some variety in their work. Most mages did not enjoy the mundanity of trade and merchant work and so used their ¡®freedom¡¯ to take on other roles, sometimes as adventurers. Often, without notice.
So, it was the same few guilds that started the guild wars that hopped wholesale and began constructing networks based on these twinned pendulums or paired pendulums. They were known as the Ball networks, because the message was sent by manipulating the magically paired metallic balls, and these were then linked to machines.
The upfront cost was hefty, but maintaining and using them was a breeze.
Merchants, for one, were incentivized to cut off mages from their operations.
The Order could still indirectly control the entire industry, since the shipment of these raw materials, Sunmetals and Sunsteels from Delvegard, was entirely in our hands. Their lightweight, magically attuned properties was what enabled the creation of these Sunmetal Ball networks.
There were hiccups, of course. The messaging process had to be refined to ensure that the message that got through was correct. The merchants themselves had to be trained how to use and store them correctly.
They were also not tested for magical storms and interference, though they had functioned during regular storms.
But, these were the start.
Sunmetals of Delvegard, these magically superconductive materials, would be the start of the communications revolution on Treehome. I believe it would take decades of greater research, as they worked out how to miniaturize these currently relatively large metal pendulum setups.
In these simple things I saw potential for a change quite like my homeworld.
***
The swift destruction of the demon king on Delvegard was inspiring for the Darkgardians, and now, we ventured to Darkgard to reclaim that world back from the demons.
Darkgard, the world connected to Delvegard, had a mostly unguarded core, and Alka wanted it to be a safe new world for the dwarves.
There was some apprehension. Darkgard didn¡¯t have Sunmetal in its current state, and the large majority of Delvegardian war machine technology relied on these Sunmetals. But, a home was a home, and we attacked anyway.
The demon mother that lurked in the core of the world didn¡¯t last very long against Lumoof or Alka.
Death came quickly, and the Core was freed.
Lumoof, thus, connected to Darkgard-
***
The vision started with worlds of dwarves. Not one but many.
Many other dwarven worlds, each with their own special metals and steels. There were dead dwarves deep underground, and with humans. A hollowed out world, a world that looked more like a carcass with broken innards. A world of steel.
One. Then two. Then three.
Then the demons came, and the cores of the worlds were ¡®ordered¡¯ to break itself apart. Three worlds cracked, forced apart by the demons.
Then, I saw a location and then another.
Two places in my star map, each another part of itself.
***
Darkgard was part of a world with three planets, but somehow it had cracked apart. The location glowed within my [astral map], as if updated by the system itself.
In short, Darkgard wasn¡¯t just Darkgard, but Darkgard I, Darkgard II and Darkgard III. There are two other planets that belonged to Darkgard.
Alka frowned as he realized that there seems to be a series of dwarven-centric worlds. ¡°So there seems to be an early dwarven god.¡±
¡°That supposes that there are early elven gods as well.¡±
Hawa¡¯s response was noncommittal when we probed. It seemed to be a story that could not be verified. ¡°These races came before I came to be. Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and the many other human-derived races that are occasionally called the Dreamed Races. They are the dreams of the great primordial void. The First Gods came to be, according to the legends, before the world faith system or the demons, and are more like forces of nature melded together by the raw power. They emerged as champions of the first races, some as dreams of the first worlds, and many of them, like animals eager for territory, fought each other to death. Perhaps Gaya would know the tale, Gaya was the oldest of us, but even he came after the First Gods. But there are patches where these races are dominant. Elves and their long lived ilk. Dwarves and their dark, industrious worlds. But beware of the dwarves, it is said that dwarves are those closest to the demons and are perhaps, their distant ancestors.¡±
¡°We met the boarfolks.¡± Hawa¡¯s memory was strangely disjointed, as if separated by its nature.
¡°Creatures that can connect to the demons came to be, made from the dried, ashened lands. There is an old tale from when I was a young god, that the dwarves are the children of the land, molded from primordial dirt and metal. Unlike the elves who are carved out of the first trees, or men, who are cut out from the first primordial beasts.¡±
¡°Is that a fact?
¡°I do not know. The nature of the void is that there are many truths, and many of these truths are true in some places and false in some other places, all at the same time. Perhaps one old god made it one way, and another god made them another way. Their origins do not matter, but they exist out there, and their worlds have strange metals, many of these relics of the older worlds.¡±
¡°Why do they not exist everywhere?¡± I countered. The nature of the void sea didn¡¯t prevent these metals from occurring naturally.
¡°I believe they do. It is just so rare that we don¡¯t find them. Their intense presence in these old worlds was the act of the old gods. They desired special metals for their world, just as how you made special woods for your people.¡±
I was surprised by that last statement, but then, I realized that many of my Valthorns carried some of my unique equipment, made and derived from my flesh and wood. Hawa must¡¯ve seen them as we passed through his territory.
The demons clearly made use of these unique metals. The Sun-Rings were made with a strange metal, which we theorized was some kind of Sunsteel alloy. So, there was some reasonable evidence to support the idea that demons might be some kind of dwarven god¡¯s creation.
Could it be that the god in the demon¡¯s prison was really Eras?
Or was the demon just something that came to control Eras, thus, by extension, it gained power over dwarven-linked abilities and claimed dwarven technologies and alloys as its own.
¡°A captured dwarven god.¡± Alka wrote on a record. ¡°That seems to be the most likely theory at the moment.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been long theorized, but I am uncertain. Eras was around long before the demons appeared, and even after the demons, Eras was still around.¡± Hawa countered. ¡°Eras is not the first or only dwarven god, either, and during the old era, Eras himself would not want to be referred to as a dwarven god. Eras¡¯ craft is open to all, not only dwarves. The creation of machines is one all can adopt.¡±
It was a conversation that led nowhere.
***
¡°Well, since we have these new locations, it makes it a lot easier to find them.¡± Stella said. ¡°Let¡¯s free these two worlds. I¡¯m pretty sure we can hack the rift gates to use these new coordinates-¡±
The rift gates hummed.
¡°Ah. I need a little more power. It¡¯s too far. No worries.¡±
A few days of void mana charging later, we tried again.
¡°Well, there we go. Having coordinates is sure handy as hell. There¡¯s no way we can brute force the coordinates with how much void mana it costs to test each coordinate-¡± Stella said, and then the rift gate hummed. This time, the hum continued and finished with a loud connection sound, as if two cymbals were slammed together.
The rift gate was active.
The void mage was happy that the coordinate system finally led somewhere. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡±
Lumoof, Alka, and a few others looked at the swirling riftgate.
It led us to Darkgard II, a world located a long, long way from us. So far that it was pretty much on the other side of the demon¡¯s territory.
327. Faraway Worlds I
327
Year 298
¡°Alright, let¡¯s review our options. Should we try and expand into these new worlds?¡± Lumoof placed the problem on the metaphorical table. Stella¡¯s exploration brought about two more additional new worlds distant from the existing series of worlds that appeared to be under heavy demonic attack but were still largely surviving, and in addition, there were also the two Darkgard-linked worlds, Darkgard II and Darkgard III.
Then, Olivia, the high priestess of Hawa, shared two more new peripheral worlds. Peripheral worlds 16th and 17th.
All in, we had about six more worlds to explore.
¡°We can sit around and wait for the time to tick. As it is, our forces and domain holders are stretched. Manpower on all our worlds is tight, and so the teams now extensively rely on local resources. Training of new operatives is going well, but it¡¯ll take time. We can wait another 3 to 5 years, we should have more people to deploy then.¡±
The Order, as of now, was a large, sprawling organization with over 5 million members and included many, many more under the auspices of the various Temples. But, the seemingly large 5 million was then spread out over multiple worlds and continents. About half of these 5 million were non-combatants. Crafters, mages, researchers, builders, academy teachers and combat trainers, priests and social workers who helped ensure that the Order was positively perceived by most of the population, and even bankers.
The Central Continent alone hosted about 1.5 million of these non combatants. Even the Valtrian Bank itself had about 200,000 employees spread over thousands of cities. Most of these were mid-leveled individuals. Those around the level 50 to 100 formed the mass of the Order¡¯s bureaucracy, and they handled all the routine tasks.
Arranging shipments, collecting data. Many of them worked together and were augmented by my artificial minds. In these new worlds, my artificial minds¡¯ reach was limited. My node trees hampered the level of access and data trees could collect, and the connection between artificial minds and these faraway worlds was weak. For the bulk of my forces, quite unlike domain holders who shared a pantheon and thus gained direct access to my artificial minds, the rest of them formed the links to their mental assistants through familiars, and that connection just couldn¡¯t carry as much data and was much less responsive.
It was the earth equivalent of my domain holders having a gigabit connection to a nearby datacenter, and the rest of my order operatives connecting through much lower quality connections.
The Order operatives who had to make do with what little they had and as conditions improved, they would find themselves supported with more resources.
Alternatively, if the need was high, then I could deploy a clone. It was quite like deploying a powerful data center in a previously unserved region. A huge commitment, but sadly, a limited one. My clone slots were limited.
¡°The two peripheral worlds shave 3 years off the waiting time.¡± Johann suggested. ¡°It¡¯s hardly worth the effort. We can wait 3 years easily. It¡¯s more of whether these worlds are worth the effort.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s just explore them and leave it at that. So, Darkgard II and Darkgard III-¡±
¡°I¡¯ve done a simple survey of the two new worlds, which is why I brought it up. I suspect there may be more domain holders on them or at least, something more powerful, which is why they survived so far.¡±
¡°That sounds like they have it sorted out. We should leave it as it is.¡±
¡°If there¡¯s something, we can at least lend a hand and move on.¡± Stella decided to add a title ¡®Farworld¡¯ to some of these faraway worlds to denote them as different from the Peripheral worlds. The two new worlds, Farworld Selestar and Farworld Kayeka.
¡°That sounds agreeable.¡± Edna said. ¡°Go in, clean up the demons without taking a position-¡±
Hoyia disagreed. ¡°We will encounter people who need help. People who need structure, order, and purpose amidst the chaos. Even in the best case scenario, we will have to maintain some presence, however miniscule. Once Twinspace clears up, I should have some priests to-¡±
¡°I think the zealots of Twinspace should be kept where they are.¡± Johann countered. Johann wasn¡¯t a fan of the zealots, a position some people of the Order agreed with. Not everyone wanted to be associated with the zealous.
¡°Zealots can be educated and changed, Johann.¡± Hoyia¡¯s voice sounded a little annoyed. ¡°It is not right to confine them to Twinspace when their fervor can be so helpful elsewhere. There are those zealots who can do great things. Passion and strong belief is only a problem when it is misguided.¡±
Lumoof agreed. ¡°We cannot avoid integration forever, especially if they need to work with the rest of the Order on the other worlds. Might as well start small. I trust Matriarch Hoyia¡¯s ability to choose the right people for the job.¡±
Johann relented with Lumoof¡¯s support. ¡°Very well.¡±
Within the Order, the Clone Worlds were all technically the primary worlds since moving between them was effortless, and my presence ensured that they could operate with most of the Order¡¯s machinery within easy reach. The Node worlds were then the secondary ranked worlds, where it took a little more effort to deploy the Order¡¯s machinery, and they had to make up for the lack of my Clone Tree¡¯s abilities.
Then, there were the true ¡®faraway worlds¡¯. Worlds linked only by portals and portals alone.
Alka then spoke up on behalf of Darkgard. ¡°The dwarves want to set off for Darkgard II and Darkgard III. The Delvegardians somehow view these other dwarven-origin worlds as something of a kindred spirit and would like to ¡®help¡¯ them. Deploying the dwarves of Delvegard to expand to these worlds would help them buy into their story.¡±
The dwarves were fascinated that there were people who shared their blood across the stars.
***
Administratively, the domain holders could provide input on their subjects through my mental connection. Even if there was a need to fight demon kings, I could rely on my pantheon and familiar abilities to pull them back instantly.
¡°If the sealed god is that of a dwarven god, this track of exploration could lead us to figure out what happened. Not all demon worlds thoroughly eradicate their native population. We should still be able to find old ruins left behind to understand what happened.¡± Alka advocated expansion to Darkgard II and III. ¡°I would like to lead this exploration.¡±
The domain holders chatted with each other briefly, but I was in agreement. Understanding how the demon¡¯s prison came to be, could help us figure out how to properly unravel it. It was a wild shot, but the fact that this world was on the other side of the demonic patch of space was also a big plus point.
This could lead us very much closer to the other gods.
In the end, the domain holders all agreed with some reluctance to do a sweep of these new worlds.
***
Year 299
Treehome remained largely peaceful. Small wars and conflicts remained throughout the world, but this recent era of peace had significantly boosted trade and the overall wealth of the world. Alas, most of that remained concentrated within the Central Continent.
The Order tried to share some of that prosperity with the rest of the continent, but it seemed that the local populace took their religion as some kind of shield. A large group seemed adamant to live in their own enclaves and areas and with the help of some power hungry Lord, set up their own areas in the Southern Continent.
They took advantage of Emperor Erranuel¡¯s absence to separate from the Holy Empire and went as far as claiming Emperor Erranuel¡¯s actions as heretical and contrary to the teachings of Hawa. That Emperor Erranuel was a heretical god.
Naturally, the proper Hawa church denounced these claims, that Emperor Erranuel communed with Hawa himself on Hawa¡¯s worlds and thus is not a heretic. But with the Emperor focused on Shasan and the rest of the Holy Empire weak and fractured, they were in no state to wage a new war against these separatist factions.
This led to a schism in the Hawa church. The royalists Hawa followers and the anti-monarchist Hawa Followers.
***
Threehome was also home to two other domainholders. Aria and Aispeng and Lillies seemed quite content where they were, though I did notice they were digging deeper into the ground. They naturally prepared for a retaliation that even I could not handle.
Lillies was really, really old, and they believed that even the dragons of old, with their immense might could fall. It meant that even my current strength could fall.
Aria, on the other hand, was just happy to use my [avatar] to explore some of the new worlds, and live in our large cities.
***
Threeworlds was doing well.
We were recruiting talents from all three of the Threeworld factions. The scorpionoids and centaurs were both capable warriors in different ways, and though we still had some suspicions of their loyalties, in the end we considered them to be a net positive for the entire Order.
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The centaur society did not fully embrace us, but there were few centaur clans that had formed alliances with the Order and regularly sent their warriors to participate in training.
Zhaanpu remained an ally and we spoke regularly. I sometimes updated him on the things we met across the other worlds, and it seemed that Zhaanpu would love to meet the Osroids one day. Both Zhaanpu and Osroids relied on something similar to death magic, though from my gut assessment, the Osroids were stronger than Zhaanpu by quite a margin, especially without Zhaanpu¡¯s magical pyramid.
The Crystal King, still imprisoned by my magical tree, had stopped struggling. Instead, it withdrew and turned reclusive.
Threeworld¡¯s military and industrial output ticked up bit by bit every year, as they had a large previously untapped population, and over the past three to four decades we¡¯d steadily transformed parts of the human-lands and parts of the far north of my Clone Tree into a heavily industrialised area.
These areas mainly produced high quality basic to mid-tier equipment, rations, and tools and also mid-tier to advanced magical equipment for use throughout the Order¡¯s operations.
The human lands and Maelga specifically became home to the magical academies for the Order. The Order quickly took control of a few of the prominent academies and used these mage training institutions to feed the Order¡¯s constant need for mage recruits. Magic related to crystals, a resource commonly found on Maelga and some of the surrounding areas, was already an area that the human mages of Maelga excelled in.
The long existing histories of Maelga¡¯s mage academies actually gave them an older heritage than most of Treehome¡¯s magic schools.
Right now, the Order¡¯s magical schools were mainly established on four worlds.
Treehome¡¯s Central Continent was the location of a few hundred magical schools, Threeworld¡¯s Maelga and a few nearby cities was also home to about twenty magical schools, Mountainworld¡¯s Branchhold was where we had a fairly large magical school, and Magisar where the Hero Towers now also hosted about fifteen magic schools.
We did have smaller institutions on Tropicsworld and a few of the newer peripheral worlds, but these worlds were not in the position to add to the Order¡¯s strength yet.
Maybe one day, we would be able to add Delvegard¡¯s various crafting institutions to our fold as well, but for now, we were content with just draining their brains by offering a much better deal behind the official ruler¡¯s backs.
***
Branchhold was the largest, most prosperous city of Mountainworld, and over the past few decades, the Order used our neutral position and extensive power to indirectly control the various nations.
Through a combination of espionage, trade, and corruption, we¡¯d maneuvered politicians and leaders favorable to our cause into positions of power. After the first Level 100 Mountainworld Order operatives a few decades ago, we¡¯d since seen multiple other individuals reach level 100.
Our current statistics estimated that it took about 50 to 60 years for someone to go from level 1 to Level 100 under the Order¡¯s current training system, so it¡¯d be a few more years when we would start seeing the first Level 100 Threeworlds native. It¡¯d be even later for those from the faraway peripheral worlds.
***
Faraway Worlds - Selestar
Edna, Stella, and Roon stepped out of the portal and arrived in a land inundated by heavy storms. The skies rippled with lightning bolts of different colors, and the rain poured from the heavens relentlessly.
¡°So what did you find that brought us here?¡± Edna said.
¡°I don¡¯t really know. My explorer arrived and I faintly detected the presence of something resembling a domain holder, but without being here ourselves, I didn¡¯t want to risk it. There¡¯s also too much of everything else for me to be very sure.¡±
Edna looked around, and then back at Roon. ¡°See anything?¡±
¡°Nope.¡± Roon answered and went back to looking. The storm clouds were thick, and seemed to go up much higher than most. And they were also partly magical. The land was muddy, and the vegetation looked as if they were close to buckling from the strong winds and also the weight of the rainwater.
The clouds were filled with intense magic, as if the leylines of the world found itself in the skies.
Then, a flash of light. Lightning slammed down from one of those thunderclouds.
Edna¡¯s magical shield buzzed with residual static even as the lightning faded. ¡°Well, death by lightning strike wasn¡¯t in my list of things to watch out for.¡±
¡°Not as strange as that world of storms. But my senses are kinda messed up.¡± Stella said. Edna realized that her own magical senses were filled with other things. Random bursts of magic. The land would rumble and shake every ten to twenty minutes, as if there were a tremor in some faraway part of the world. ¡°The earth seems to shake all the time.¡±
¡°I thought you¡¯d surveyed the place.¡±
¡°Just roughly. But I feel like there¡¯s a lot of places that could use a proper exploration force, with some power to back me up.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Edna grinned. ¡°Well then, Princess, this knight shall escort you and keep you safe, wherever you go.¡±
Roon rolled his eyes. ¡°Ladies.¡±
¡°Yes yes.¡± Edna said. ¡°So-¡±
¡°A bit more.¡±
Stella led them to a gigantic mountain. It had a strange soil, not because of the soil itself, but because of the tremendous magical energies that flowed out of it.
The soil was energized and its surface constantly formed into magical golems. These golems would walk for a bit, and then a stray lightning bolt would come down from the constant thunderstorms above and turn the golem into regular soil once more.
The mountain also had a gigantic cave that had golden crystal walls. It created this path that glowed inwards.
¡°Well. That¡¯s an entrance.¡± Edna blinked.
¡°I know. I stared at it, and I¡¯m like, no. I can¡¯t go in alone.¡±
¡°A wise choice.¡± Edna teased. ¡°Let¡¯s see-¡±
Roon stared. ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing in there.¡±
The trio walked into the cave of golden crystals. There were, surprisingly, no defenders. They walked until they reached a single golden door that opened when they pushed.
They felt a gust of divine wind when the door opened, and inside, was a golden chamber, filled with multiple items, all radiating divine energy.
The door closed behind them, and they felt the divine energy rippling outward from the main divine item at the heart of the golden chamber.
A golden flower. It levitated on top of a pedestal and emitted a golden glow that lit up the entire chamber.
¡°Well- a treasury with divine relics.¡± Edna said. ¡°I expected more defenders.¡±
A spirit emerged from the golden flower, and it took the form of a little human boy. ¡°Greetings, visitors, to the tomb of the dead God Zafar.¡±
¡°A tomb of a dead god.¡± Edna looked around. ¡°I do not see a corpse.¡±
¡°You are on it, but this is where the last of its divine will faded away.¡±
¡°Oh. When did Zafar die?¡±
The spirit stared, and spoke with borrowed divinity. ¡°I know not how much time passed elsewhere. But here, two hundred and sixty two thousand years.¡±
¡°Why did it die?¡±
¡°The loss of faith.¡± The spirit answered. ¡°A foul plot, coupled with the relentless tide of the demons. Zafar¡¯s believers were stolen away, and what was left of Zafar¡¯s true believers were destroyed. The friend that was supposed to come to its rescue did not.¡±
¡°How does one plot against a god?¡± Roon said, amused.
The spirit did not answer. Edna looked around. ¡°So, this world, it is what¡¯s left of Zafar?¡±
¡°Yes. Zafar fused with the world in hope to stem off the last of its losses, but it was too late. The loss of its other worlds was too much, and so, unable to maintain its divinity, here it spent the last of its divinity cursing the world to its eternal storm.¡±
Edna blinked. ¡°Then who made you?¡±
¡°I am the last of Zafar¡¯s high prophets and avatars, and here I collected my patron¡¯s last relics and made it his final resting ground. I felt my patron¡¯s fading divinity here, in this very room. Upon his death, I sacrificed myself to create the tomb in his honor.¡±
¡°This world used to have people like you?¡±
¡°Yes. But they should all be dead. My god¡¯s wrath and anger was too much.¡±
Edna nodded. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s leave.¡±
¡°Wait. Who betrayed your god?¡± Roon asked, a little curious.
¡°Eras.¡±
Did it? If Eras was imprisoned, was Eras a traitor? Or was the prison not really a prison, but instead a trap? A lure for the other gods to attempt to save Eras, only to be fooled by Eras himself, the real mastermind of the entire demonic scheme?
Or, was Eras a victim of their own machinations, where the demons outsmarted their creator?
***
Darkgard II
A demon world was often similar to others, and the immediate sense one got as they stepped across the rift gate and landed on Darkgard II wasn¡¯t a demon world.
Fire and brimstone, the skies filled with thick, blackened smog. There was no visibility for those seeing with regular eyes, and Alka had to immediately rely on magical vision to see through the smog. The grounds were bare and rough and covered in a thick layer of black ash.
The air itself tasted like ash, with a hint of metal.
Here, we witnessed a new type of demon.
These demons were small, smaller than a human, but stronger, beefier. Its skin was black as if covered in decades of soot and smog. In short, they looked like dwarves, imagined as if they were half-demons.
Lumoof¡¯s wooden roots pierced one, and then we realized that these bodies were not purely demonic, but instead, they were like shells. Because the real mind of these smaller demons was a parasite within them.
No. They were not a new type of demon. Instead, they were bodies bred to serve as vessels of demons.
¡°Burn them to hell.¡± Alka cursed as he tore apart one of these demons just to see what¡¯s inside. A parasite wriggling within, thoroughly integrated to the outer shell as if it was one.
We tore through multiple of these demons, and Lumoof tried to specifically target the demonic parasite. Killing the parasite left these bodies nothing more than just mindless biological automatons.
¡°This is a parasite world that infested a world of dwarves.¡±
Then we discovered the breeding pools where the demons cloned these dwarven bodies by the thousands. Large industrial-like facilities filled with hundreds if not thousands of liquid-filled sacs, each growing a body made of part metal and part flesh, supplied with resources from the terrain.
Dwarven physical bodies turned into templates for parasitic hosts. These demon-possessed dwarves spoke to each other normally, somehow capable of speech. There were variations to these demonic dwarven husks, but at this point, it just repulsed us.
They were all demons.
The demons themselves were separately bred in their own demonic spawning pools, but the demonic parasite and their bodies were later introduced to each other. There were hundreds of them as we kept exploring the world.
Everywhere we went we saw layers of soot and a world drained of all semblance of life, all to fuel the demonic army. They used real weapons, spawned from the metallic chambers, and it didn¡¯t take much to figure out that they were preparing for an invasion of another world.
¡°I had not imagined a total puppet state.¡± Lumoof said. ¡°This is something else.¡±
Alka shook his head as he too struggled to contain his anger. He spent enough time with the Delvegardians to share in their respect for the dwarven way. ¡°I can only imagine the Delvegardian¡¯s wish to raze this world to the ground.¡±
Lumoof nodded along. ¡°I guess there are times where Aeon¡¯s phrase, ¡®nuke it from orbit¡¯ is appropriate.¡±
Darkgard II was fairly uniform throughout its surface. The demonic parasites turned the entire world into a massive body factory, and they prepared to send this to wage war on other worlds.
¡°Enough.¡± Alka said, holding back his deep anger. There was something so perverse about parasites pretending to be dwarves that made his blood boil, and the world resonated with the domain holder¡¯s rightful anger. ¡°We will deal with this. Later.¡±
My avatar tapped the dwarf on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the other world.¡±
***
328. Faraway Worlds II
Year 300
Darkgard III
They didn¡¯t immediately wage war on Darkgard II, even if Alka really, really wanted to. In the end, scouting and gathering information came first.
Darkgard III was not covered in ash or soot. But instead, the entire place was dry. The ground was sandy, and the air was non-existent. As far as they saw, the skies were just burning white, and a white sun burned the world overhead.
The sand was hot. So hot that the grains of sand were at the very edges of melting, but their magical protections prevented them from harming the two domain holders.
We walked.
It was a sea of sand as far as the eye could see. There were no mountains other than mounds of sand that were somehow higher than others. The winds of this place only brought hot, dry air. The sun also blasted strong waves of energy that messed with magic and confused our magical senses.
For a tree like me, I didn¡¯t like this environment very much. I could imagine my roots drying out, my bark falling apart.
But as we walked and walked, we noticed that the sun began to sink behind us, and the winds grew stronger. Colder. Then, the once hot sand gave way to warm dirt. More dirt. The hot winds were now cold.
And it was a land of darkness.
There, we saw fortresses filled with demons. These were not dwarven parasites like in Darkgard II. Instead, the fortresses were filled with demonic spiders the size of cows with fangs the size of horns.
The demons were not the problem. They couldn¡¯t detect us. Instead, what was interesting was the presence of relatively new corpses. This was a fairly recent fortress, with corpses that were probably a few years old.
¡°Dwarves.¡± Alka sat as he examined a body. ¡°Regular dwarven kind fought, and somehow the body didn¡¯t rot.¡± Instead the body looked like it was desiccated. The face shriveled.
¡°It¡¯s the dry air.¡± Lumoof said. The way the fortress was designed had included deep wells and tunnels. ¡°Let¡¯s search the tunnels, if the weather is so hostile, they are likely to be underground. Like Gyroworld.¡±
The demonic spiders clogged up the tunnels, but ultimately they were nothing. Lumoof and Alka slaughtered their way through the tunnels and eventually found themselves traveling deeper and deeper.
The tunnels were trapped to hell and back again, and they got to a point where there was a mountain of dwarven corpses that formed an impassable wall.
Of course, only if one didn¡¯t have magic. The two teleported past the mountain of corpses and continued on. The tunnels led further in and there were still more corpses here.
Eventually, they led somewhere. An underground city.
But first, a checkpost.
¡°Who goes there!¡± Two dwarves, armed with axes, shouted. They sensed some movement in the loose pebbles or dirt of the tunnels, but not enough to detect them.
Alka and Lumoof were cloaked and just walked past them.
They stared.
¡°Strange,¡± one of them walked to the puddle and muttered. ¡°Why¡¯d the puddle move when there¡¯s no one.¡±
***
Home to about fifty or perhaps sixty thousand dwarves carved into tunnels. Here, they had a large central well that extracted water from deep below. Then, there were magical crystals throughout large parts of the city that produced light, and also crystals that produced air.
They were ruled by a king. A City Guardian.
The City Guardian was an extremely old dwarf, and dwarves, as far as I remembered, generally lived to about 200 to 300 years. But Lumoof, through his senses, could roughly estimate the man to be close to a thousand years old.
There were many old records kept in this city. It was known as Stragmar, and interestingly, we soon discovered an object at the heart of the city similar to one we had seen before.
The Leyline Focusing Lens of the Margmarian Dwarves, located beneath the City Guardian¡¯s chambers, pulsed and still possessed strong magical energy. Ancient, but unlike our leyline focusing lens, this one still retained a great level of power.
¡°The blood of the fallen.¡± He held in his hand a bowl of blood and poured the blood on the relic. The relic buzzed as the blood flowed around it, and we felt minute increases in the relic¡¯s power.
The city survived, but did not prosper. The spiders would attack them if they were ever discovered, and though the dwarves frequently sent out scouting parties to explore the surface, these scouting parties were instructed to avoid leading the demonic spiders towards any new exits they made.
Tunnels were being made all the time, each with traps and defenses. Dwarven stubbornness seemed to have possessed them, and these folks were not like the Ularans.
The Ularans had given up on the surface world. The lords were content to be masters of their underground lairs, away from the demons of the surface.
But the dwarves of Darkgard III did not. Lumoof and Alka soon discovered the presence of multiple such dwarven cities, about twenty scattered over the world. They¡¯d been trapped for the past ten to twenty thousand years, but the surface remained a land that they always sought to reclaim.
These city guardians told tales of their old legends, of when they were surface dwellers, and the dwarves had dedicated historians that chronicled their past and built massive records about what they¡¯d achieved.
A myth to inspire their people to keep going.
It was perhaps this difference in where Snek¡¯s Ularans and the dwarves differed and how they viewed their historical records. The dwarves, as we¡¯d seen on many worlds, placed great value on their past, and that became their strength in hard times.
The Ularans were less beholden to it, and thus adapted to their new situation.
The two returned to Treehome and prepared for our next steps.
***
Also, this year we had three demon kings; two later than expected and one earlier than expected. The two later worlds were Sarlpi and the Great Steppes. The annihilation of the demon king went smoothly, and we also added the two new heroes, Sandra and Perry, to support the war effort.
The two were very nervous to face the demon king on Sarlpi.
The first demon king they faced had been so severely weakened that this second demon king would actually be their real challenge. They made a few mistakes here and there, but the hero¡¯s innate sensibilities meant they were spared of the problems.
Lumoof was also around, just in case the demon king wanted to try its usual end-of-life nuke.
The domain holders then handled the demon kings on the Great Steppes and then, Landas. The demon king on Landas came earlier than expected, and the native elves panicked. The idea of another disaster like the previous demon king was still fresh in their minds. The defensive forces prepared for battle, but with the domain holders around, the war ended swiftly.
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Still, after the intense preparations the local militia made, a lot of this energy was unused. So, we organized a military expedition to demon worlds for the native militia to sort out their unspent energy.
***
¡°Have you thought of what you wanted?¡± Aeon asked Ebon, and the knight looked uncertain. It¡¯d been years, and yet Ebon continued to put off his choice.
¡°Do you imagine me to be a teacher, Aeon?¡± Ebon countered. The knight was a diligent practitioner, frequently practised combat even on his own and also was regularly seen around the various leyline dungeons of our worlds. His presence was often as a guide, a role that perhaps seems like that of a teacher.
But how one perceived themselves was not the same as how the world and others perceived them. ¡°I imagine not. But it is for you to imagine for yourself, who you want to be. This choice is very much a personal one. It is not us who will live with those choices. It is you who will face them.¡±
¡°And you imagine correctly. I¡¯ve served as a knight for decades, and yet even all this time I¡¯ve devoted it to the front lines. A teacher, a master to young students? I think it is not for me.¡± Ebon nodded. ¡°Which is why I do believe the Castle Knight to be a better choice for me.¡±
¡°Then why hesitate?¡± It was a silly question. In the end, it was always something else.
¡°Perhaps, I just want to see what happens when I do. Perhaps, after being denied my domain for so long, I thought I should relish it, and let the choice linger until I am finally over it.¡±
It was entirely his call, and he then proceeded to laugh. And laugh. It felt like he was laughing to release some kind of long held frustration.
¡°I waited and toiled for decades. The system can wait a few years.¡±
¡°Very well.¡± In the end, Ebon left it as it is. Was this his way of getting back at the system?
***
Twinspace¡¯s new continent was already a quarter settled within a few years, mainly by the believers of the Temple of Aeon. They had a tremendous advantage because Aeonic priests and druids were skilled when it came to purification of the corrupted lands.
Hoyia¡¯s power was so strong that she could single handedly clear a city-sized area of demonic blight with a single use of her holy powers.
Expedition¡¯s Landing grew massively in the past few years, as it became the main port of call for glory seekers, adventurers, and hunters. Many came to the new continent in hopes of finding treasure hidden underneath the muck of demonic corruption.
This surge of migrants helped relieve the overcrowded stresses of the old continent, but it still remained a heavily overpopulated place. Food scarcity continued to be a problem, even if improvements were had.
Expedition¡¯s Landing also recruited farmers heavily in order to initiate large scale food exports. The lands of the new continent were extremely fertile, and the excess food produced by the new continent would help alleviate the food stresses for the Temple¡¯s believers. The priests began to preach about stewardship and how to properly manage the lands to prevent overexploitation. There was likely a time long ago when the old continent was just as fertile, but centuries of overfarming and extraction turned it into the husk it is today.
The people of Twinspace, many of them came from modest origins back on the old continent, farmers, soldiers, and others of similar status. These came to the new continent to pursue wealth, but wealth is all around them.
Farmers were unsure how to deal with the fertility of the land. The skills and methods used to enable farming on dry, almost barren land was very different from that of the fertile land. Hoyia had to call on the expertise of druids and farmers from Treehome in order to help the settlers and pioneers on the new continent.
It was a matter of excess. On these super fertile soil, they had to deal with other kinds of problems such as insects, limited use of certain types of fertilizers that often messed up the land¡¯s natural balance, and managing water. On the old barren lands, they could throw anything at the land and the land would soak up any excess.
In other words, planting the way they used to often poisoned their crop, because the natural environment already could provide what the crops needed.
Even inflation was an area where we had to think and manage carefully. Crystals and gems were found so easily that we noticed some of the natives treating them as if they were disposable, instead of using them carefully. We knew that these crystals were only abundant now, but in a matter of decades the easy sources of these gems would dry up and the scarcity would return. So rationing and proper management of these resources was key.
When it came to managing such cyclical resources, we found that the dwarves and the treefolks generally had a better track record. It was quite strange that many treefolks were genetically inclined towards the changes in the seasons, so to them, storing the excess to use during shortages came naturally. Dwarves, who were also historically heavy miners, also understood that the nature of metals depleted after a while. For the other races, these sort of concepts needed to be taught and drilled over years.
So, we had treefolk lords and leaders from the FTC deployed to Twinspace to help manage these new settlements and control the settlers¡¯ innate need to harvest and consume all they could. Hoyia, then created the first New Continent Resource Preservation Fund, and had my [Giant Attendant Trees] function as a long term [treeasury] of these resources. A portion of these precious gems and metals were redirected to the treasury for future use.
Bringing in external experts and leaders did create friction between the zealots and the Order, so we needed the priests to heavily lubricate the interactions. A key point Hoyia thus emphasized was that the local leaders needed to be trained to replace the Order officials brought from afar. Without the transfer of knowledge and a commitment to ensure that the natives of Twinspace would eventually lead their own organization, it would cause dissatisfaction over the long term.
It would also reek of colonialism, if the leaders of Twinspace were always someone from elsewhere.
Hoyia, thus, had a lot to do. Mainly, selecting, promoting, and training zealots that could take up leadership positions and deal with me directly. As it was, Hoyia¡¯s place as the voice of god that brought about the settlements of the New Continent meant she had the weight of accomplishments and success to justify her leadership.
Any appointed leader, especially from other worlds, would not have that same history and pedigree.
Though Hoyia was now immortal and could sit in that role forever, we needed her skills and abilities elsewhere, and also, it was unlikely that Hoyia herself would want to remain a leader of Twinspace forever.
We needed to start preparing for leadership succession, even if the work of developing the New Continent was only in its early stages.
***
¡°Emperor Erranuel, I see you¡¯ve done well!¡± Lumoof¡¯s appearance on Shasan was greeted with a meal. Erranuel looked happy to see him, and the two hugged briefly.
Erranuel¡¯s Hawa holy empire now expanded to cover ten cities and they had a strong, standing force. But the challenges of Shasan¡¯s seasonal shifts placed significant hurdles for expansion. Even moving forces from one place to another required a lot of work.
Olivia was there too, and she looked as pristine as she always had. She seemed a bit stronger, a few more levels gained. ¡°Greetings to you too, high priestess.¡±
¡°Since you¡¯re here, Lumoof, I want to negotiate for a larger shipment of people and goods from our world.¡± Erranuel said. As it was, Erranuel¡¯s goods movement between the two worlds was fairly limited. There were two steps to move goods or people. From Treehome to the nearest node world and from the node world, a void portal to Shasan.
¡°Any particular reason?¡±
¡°My expansion requires more military equipment. I ask that you carry these messages back to my regent¡¯s council and have them begin production-¡±
¡°The regent¡¯s council have messages of their own.¡± Lumoof handed the Emperor a letter. They expressed their frustrations with the Emperor¡¯s absence and the recent splinter factions that denounced the Emperor¡¯s actions as heretical. ¡°They want you back.¡±
¡°The hell with them.¡± Erranuel cursed. ¡°They can appoint a new Emperor if they so wish.¡±
¡°Only after you¡¯ve dealt with the splinter states.¡± Lumoof smiled.
¡°Those useless nobles.¡± The emperor covered his forehead with his palm. ¡°Can¡¯t they keep a country together?¡±
¡°Not so easy without your abilities, [Emperor].¡±
He sat and thought about it for a moment, and wondered. ¡°Can I send Olivia? Olivia¡¯s borrowed divinity should be the perfect response to these foolish heretics.¡±
Olivia blinked. ¡°That is not what I agreed to-¡±
Erranuel added. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to visit Roon¡¯s homeworld? It¡¯s Aeon¡¯s base, and where you can feel what it¡¯s like being next to another divinity at full strength.¡±
¡°Being near to Lumoof is sufficient.¡± Olivia countered, and she was right. Lumoof¡¯s avatar mode recreated the same sensation.
¡°I argue that being in that burning valley is an experience in itself.¡± Erranuel countered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. My people here need me, and I honestly have more things to do here. There are problems I have to solve.¡±
Erranuel recruited heavily and borrowed heavily from our playbook. He instituted civil and social reforms and used his [Emperor] abilities to create benefits for his people that the other city states of Shasan didn¡¯t have.
Shasan, a world with fragmented city states separated by deserts, had never seen an Empire. There was also no real way of controlling the fragmented city states without a special set of powers.
Erranuel, thus, as an Emperor, created the first series of portal gates to connect the various cities. It was a heavy expense, only made possible with a set of resources provided by Olivia and the Hawa¡¯s Core worlds, but necessary for them to function as a cohesive empire.
¡°Tell them no. I¡¯m not going back. Olivia, go on my behalf.¡± Erranuel said. No, he commanded, and Lumoof felt the Emperor use some kind of holy power on the high priestess. The High Priestess squirmed as she raised her own powers to resist.
But in the end she buckled. A Holy emperor was something else, and she sighed. ¡°Fine. I will have some unpleasant words about you when I return.¡±
¡°I look forward to them.¡± Erranuel laughed.
***
329. Graft Robbery
329
Year 301
***
Darkgard
Alka inspected 10,000 dwarven warriors and hundreds of the dwarven war machines, all in various states of readiness. Six rift gates were set up, each able to send one war machine through every minute.
Alka wanted more, but the void mages didn¡¯t have enough rift gates or void mana to sustain such a large movement of forces. Not without Stella or any of the void archmages. Alas, void archmages were so rare that they had far greater things to do.
¡°Are your people ready, Desonian?¡± Alka asked and the man nodded. Desonian, a level 74 dwarven [Battlecrafter], used to be a military commander of the Delvegardian Yards. He had seen three large scale battles against other dwarven cities, enemies of the Delvegardian Yards, and killed no less than a thousand dwarves with his war machine.
There were many craftsmen at work, the war machines modified for operations on other worlds. Breathing chambers, helmets and suits were installed on the war machines, while the dwarves themselves put on new suits.
The craftsmen, both native to Delvegard and those from the other worlds, had adapted quickly to the suits used to function on other worlds. It was better to be prepared for whatever that was on the other side.
¡°Good. Come with me.¡±
These forces would head for Darkgard III, and their goal was to free the surface of Darkgard III from the control of the demons.
There was an unspoken understanding. They were ready, but they were all waiting.
The invasion only began when the domain holders were here.
Darkgard III, just like any of the other demon worlds, possessed a demon mother. A former demon king that corrupted the planet¡¯s core and turned it into a demon king hatchery. Without destroying the demon mother, any invasion of Darkgard III would fail.
***
Prior to the invasion, Alka made contact with the natives. They were surprised, but the presence of dwarves that they didn¡¯t recognize was all the proof they needed.
It was a good choice to bring dwarves, because they were not greeted with skepticism, but instead treated like a kindred spirit. As if it was a miracle to see new faces. But the City Guardian was rightfully skeptical of our ability to destroy the demons. An entirely fair consideration for an entity without any track record so far.
But, there were also things we didn¡¯t know.
¡°The Burning Sun is our punishment for the failure to protect our world from the demons.¡± City Guardian Rommar said, once Alka and the Order managed to sneak in and arrange a meeting. ¡°The burning lands were once normal, back when the world used to turn.¡±
The presence of the demon mother changed how the world functioned. Then again, having seen how Tropicsworld was restored and even now how Deadworld was going through some environmental changes, it made sense.
But Darkgard used to be a single world. Could it be that one of those suns was the original one, and now what they had was split apart to three?
More importantly, this raised the big question. ¡°What exactly is the limit of the demons¡¯ powers?¡±
Hawa could add planets to his core worlds, so that they could accommodate more believers. If the demons had almost god-like abilities, then we needed to approach the demon¡¯s sun with the same tactic as how the demons defeated the dead god Zafar.
We needed to remove the demon¡¯s ability to ¡®collect¡¯ power.
So, what exactly gave the demons power?
¡°Maybe, on a larger scale, the demons are like the demon king on Gigantadragon. The demons gain power for each and every core controlled by them. Directly linked.¡± Alka theorized, and it was a theory I understood. If so, we had to free up multiple worlds, weaken the demons, and then only we could take on the demon sun.
We would need to attack a whole lot of worlds for this to work.
There were mages and researchers focused on the study of demons. What gave demon kings their power? They possessed a demonic core, but was that really the source of their power? The droplet from the black sun?
Thus, I set out to try something different for the next demon king.
¡°Let¡¯s try to use our powers on the demon king.¡± I told Lumoof, and Lumoof expected it. He shared my thoughts, after all. I wanted to test out whether it was possible to turn a demon king into something else, through [natural mana overwhelming].
But first, we needed a test subject, and the demon mother at the heart of the Darkgard III would be our first guinea pig.
***
Spiders. The demonic spiders massed everywhere, but throwing more flesh at the problem wasn¡¯t going to solve things.
The war machines¡¯ giant magical beams burnt through the spiders, and their gigantic legs easily crushed them.
¡°Keep formation!¡± The Delvegardian dwarven leader screamed. ¡°March!¡± The war machines took a single step together. The demon spiders might not last long against the gigantic war machines, but thousands of them could easily overwhelm even the strongest war machines.
Beneath them, there were smaller machines, where the dwarven warriors operated something that resembled mechanical armor. The spiders that made it past the array of magical beams from the hundreds of war machines had to get past three lines of dwarven warriors, armed with gigantic axes and heavy blades.
The spiders were slaughtered.
The dwarves got better at fighting the demons.
It¡¯d been a month since the attack on Darkgard III began. The Order managed to destroy hundreds of demonic spawning pools. The native dwarves were surprised, but the presence of almost 10,000 dwarven warriors was reassuring.
The domain holders walked past the swarm of demons unharmed, Lumoof¡¯s presence hidden. Roon and Johann came along to support the dwarves, just in case something happened.
But our destination was a familiar place.
A tunnel that led to the depths.
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Lumoof would go alone. Well, he would never be alone, but the rest of them would remain on the surface.
***
The tunnel seemed to go on forever, and we could feel the presence of the demon mother lingering near the core of the dwarven world. Our thoughts were troubled. How did the demons do it? What exactly was the upper limit of their strength?
The demon mother lurked within the husk of a planetary core. No. This core felt like a fragment, a shadow of what it once was.
¡°It has strands that lead elsewhere-¡± Lumoof could see magical, spiritual lines emanating throughout the core, and it seemed to vanish as it reached out as if those strands went somewhere else. The three worlds were still linked, even if they were separated. But how, and why? Why did the demons do such a thing? Or was it just an experimental thing it did once or twice?
But it was also easy for us to spot the demon mother. Its presence was like a dark shadow over the entire core.
After falling for hours from the surface, Lumoof¡¯s roots fanned out like legs and hooks and helped slow his fall. The demon mother was already wary, because we sensed it shrinking and preparing for battle.
A blast of energy came our way, but only slammed into our wooden shields. ¡°Block the entrance.¡± Lumoof said, as he activated [Aeon¡¯s Spirit].
My spiritual form manifested where the tunnel to the surface met the world¡¯s core chamber, and my roots fanned out to cover the entire inner wall of the core chamber. The demon mother was trapped, unless it was prepared to blast its way out of the core in another direction.
But here, at this distance, the core that was the womb of so many demon kings was now a prison and my roots counterattacked. The demon mother attempted to hide within the core, but it soon realized how foolish that was.
Its attacks were harmless. The demon mother was relatively weak, compared to the demon kings it spawned.
Lumoof approached the demon mother, it was still a large, monstrous thing. Even shrunk to its smallest size it was still bigger than our beetles. It was much taller than Lumoof, but it was a shell of whatever it once was.
All demon mothers were once demon kings. I wanted to study them. Figure out the mechanics of what made them do things.
Lumoof¡¯s steps in the hollowed core of Darkgard III felt ominous, the demon mother attacking with all it had. But none of the attacks got past Lumoof¡¯s defenses. For a moment, Lumoof, surrounded by hundreds of glowing green spiritual roots, looked more like a demon than the demon mother¡¯s black, slime-like form.
It had nowhere to go and we struck back.
Our roots reached out, and via Lumoof¡¯s avatar form, these roots easily grabbed hold of the demon mother.
It struggled, as it flung its limbs around as if they were powerful whips. But my roots were much stronger, and the demon mother¡¯s limbs only served as anchors for my roots to latch on.
The creature attempted to screech. It wanted to release some kind of warning. But our roots moved quickly, and reached deep into its slimy flesh and touched its core. And the flood of mana that followed drowned out whatever struggles it had.
We flooded the creature with our mana.
A lot of our mana.
Throughout the entirety of the worlds we were connected to, it felt as if there were a slight dip in the magic available everywhere. I sucked it from all the other worlds and flooded the demon mother.
The creature whimpered, as the dark, hollowed core of the demon mother started to change color.
It still struggled, but with each struggle, the once dark demon mother transformed more into something that was both animal and plant at the same time. It was multi-colored, and the varied color mana visibly spread throughout the demon mother.
I could feel its demonic energies attempt to resist. But there wasn¡¯t much left in it to fight us. It screeched in horror, but those were the creature¡¯s final gasps.
The mana spread.
I felt it pour through into the strange, parched soul of the demon. It wasn¡¯t a complete soul, but more like a stitched together alternative. Quite like the artificial souls, but with a demon origin.
All the demonic creatures had some variant of this template. An incomplete soul, fueled by the dry fires of the demon¡¯s mana.
Like a flood, our powers were like a tsunami, and that powerful fire was extinguished.
[Natural Mana Overwhelming upgraded. Efficiency improved. Anti demonic qualities upgraded]
[You¡¯ve successfully converted the Demon King¡¯s Husk.]
And at that moment, I saw the memories written into the demon king¡¯s husks.
The creature that now stood in its place was a multi-colored slime, but instead of liquid, it was a mass of flesh of all sorts that could reshape itself at will.
An [Aeonic Stem Mass]
An existence that was pretty much the primordial form of all flesh and could reshape itself to take any other.
***
It first began with a birth. A presence deep within a pulsing planet. It knew it was in the heart of a planet¡¯s core, and it felt its own power grow. The energies of worlds drained to feed the growing creature.
This was its life before it was a demon mother.
Power.
Growing power.
Death. Destruction. Consume. Expand. Conquer.
I felt the creature¡¯s command. To destroy. To expand. To create more of itself. It was not a creature of evil. It had no emotions, but it was commanded to do what it always did.
To consume.
Yet it understood its targets to some degree, and I saw flickers of understanding. Of using emotions. Tactics. To turn the natives against one another through corrupting the natives into demonic hosts.
I tried to understand the visions it shared with me. They were all imprinted with an intense desire to consume, and they sought out sources of great magic.
They could calculate odds and weigh tactics. Imprinted in each and every demon king was an array of tactics and strategies.
This demon mother then shared how it slaughtered the heroes that came to fight it, because the demon mother used the natives as blackmail material. These natives had zero value to the demons, but the heroes had a given value. The demon mother embedded these living natives into its flesh and kept them dangling around it like a human shield.
In their moments of hesitation the demon mother attacked, and the demons won.
To them, these manipulative actions were just victory tactics.
The demons did not view us more than tools. Food.
A plague. A virus.
***
I saw visions of how the demon king then dug into the ground with magic, utilizing the realm¡¯s inherent leylines to open up a path to the core.
Once there, its form was then separated. Its own power, that of the demon king, was separated into multiple seedlings, between fifteen to thirty depending on the power of the Core. Those seedlings then formed the start of the new demon king.
What remained of the demon mother then functioned as a controller of the demon¡¯s core, and it created a link to the heart of the demon¡¯s sun.
The prison.
It didn¡¯t show me what was inside, but I knew then that it contained messages. Images. Visions. Enemies. Locations and targets.
The demons communicated in some way or form, and it was carried through pulses of magic. Similar to what the demon mother tried to emit before I¡¯ve converted it into the [Stem Mass].
The demons had ¡®emitter¡¯ stations. Places where the messages from the demon sun were amplified and then spread to more places. That was a weakness we could capitalize on, and better still, now we knew where it was.
Could we hack the emitter stations, convert them into something we controlled, and use it to mess with the demon¡¯s communication methods?
***
Darkgard III¡¯s core hummed, a few moments of the disappearance of the demon mother¡¯s presence. It was like an old machine that wasn¡¯t used for a long time, suddenly restarted. Its hum was shaky, uncertain. It coughed.
Like an old rackety engine trying to catch its breath.
I fed it energy and already, I felt Darkgard III¡¯s core slowly rouse from its hazy slumber, even if it constantly coughed. It had residual demonic energies to purge.
***
¡°Well, what can we do with this creature?¡± Lumoof stood and approached the now docile [Stem Mass].
[You may assign a Titan frame to the Stem Mass. Stem Mass gains the ability to impersonate a demon king, and temporarily emit demon king-like presence. However, it would not possess the full strength of a demon king, only a fraction. The Stem Mass can also reshape itself into any known creature and grow flesh of any kind. You may also transform Stem Mass into a [Living Colony], and it can also help spread your influence. Adding additional Titan Frames may unlock additional abilities.]
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I answered, my goal was to convert a demon mother, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what I wanted to do with the end result. But the presence of a [Living Colony] could be useful. But the information shared by the demon mother did give me a rough gauge of how strong the demon kings were.
I needed a few more worlds.
But converting a demon king was not out of reach.
***
330. Alka and Darkgard
¡°Lord Alka, this way.¡± Desonian, one of the thirty or so Delvegardian leaders, led him deeper into the city. The City Guardian of the oldest known city of Darkgard III, Grand Mine, was present at the large meeting room. It was lit with glowing orange gems, though for the dwarves, it was more of a convenience.
Darkgardians were used to their eyes seeing in the dark, and quite a few Darkgardians had developed some kind of seismic sense or vibration sense, so they could maneuver about freely. The City Guardian stood to receive him. ¡°Lord Alka. The thing you requested for.¡±
There were three chests that looked like they were truly ancient things. But what was inside were not artifacts. Instead, they were the records of the earliest histories of Darkgard III and from a time when they were known as Grandera.
The chests were magically protected, and Alka looked around. ¡°Are they magical?¡±
The City Guardian of the Grand Mine shook his head. ¡°No.¡±
Precautions. He withdrew his magical energies as far as he could. For an alchemist and explosion expert, it was something he did all the time. One could never be quite sure when one¡¯s own magical powers could interfere with whatever concoction they produced, especially someone with a domain. The chest revealed hundreds of old books.
¡°Desonian, call the historical scribes and mages in. We¡¯ve got work to do.¡± Desonian nodded as the Order¡¯s official historical experts and researchers got to work. They were elves, treefolk, humans and dwarves.
The City Guardian still wasn¡¯t used to seeing the other races, so he still stepped back. Alka assured him anyway.
¡°Do not worry, City Guardian. They are my people, and they will handle these documents with utmost care.¡±
An elven mage and [Archivist] immediately checked it for any inherent magical protections. Once the mage was sure she didn¡¯t detect any, she placed a pile of blank papers, wooden planks, ink, and a random assortment of materials, and then she activated a series of spells. [Preservation], [Book duplication], and [Book transcription].
The ancient books glowed and truly like magic, the pile of papers, wooden planks, and materials started to reshape itself. It began to replicate the old books, one part at a time.
¡°What¡¯s in them?¡± A few of the City Guardian¡¯s elders were there, and one of them could not help but ask the City Guardian. Even the elders didn¡¯t know of the existence of such records.
¡°Old books, elder. Historical records from our world¡¯s ancient past. From a time when we were very different.¡±
Alka nodded. ¡°Some days, I find dwarven habits of recording every transaction down extremely painful to work with. But when it comes down to it, dwarves are amazing at preserving ancient history and knowledge.¡±
¡°What better way to remember a grudge than to have it minuted down in detail?¡± The city guardian smiled. ¡°I honestly never read them. I thought it was too fragile of a thing to ever touch, and as far as I know, most of my predecessors thought so too.¡±
The mages would need a few weeks to fully create an almost exact replica of these historical records.
¡°This will take a while.¡± Alka pointed at the archivists at work. ¡°Come, City Guardian, we have other things to discuss.¡±
***
¡°What do you think of the blessings?¡± Alka posed the question to the dwarven council. They were seated at a rare round table. Dwarves, as far as Alka knew, did not like round tables all that much. They were creatures with a fairly strong emphasis on hierarchy, something common across all the worlds.
But today, they gathered around in a rarely used meeting room. Multiple City Guardians across Darkgard III, all came to talk.
¡°The realm wants us to grow and replenish our strength, that is what we understand at a simple level. But is there all to it?¡±
¡°I hear from my people that your men have been talking about some Great War. That this is a war to free the captured dwarven worlds.¡±
Some things just happened organically. The Great War was supposed to be a war against the demons, but the minds of people invented their own stories. The Dwarves had taken a more specific stance towards the Great War.
A war to liberate the captured dwarven worlds and restore their place in the multiverse.
It was not ideal, since there was a chance that dwarves would not participate in the larger war, and Alka knew that dwarves were fairly insular people who did not like mingling with other races. In other words, there was a risk that dwarves as a whole might not want to help the other races.
In the end, Alka focused on what mattered.
Outcomes.
A coalition formed from multiple worlds, of different races, of different backgrounds was bound to have disagreements, but just because things were not perfect, didn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t stop something good from happening.
Compromises were always made, and as much as some of the earth-origin folks hated to admit it. Divide and conquer, or in Aeon¡¯s case, divide and manage, was horrifically effective.
Alka sat in the hall as multiple others talked, and then, the door opened. A few of the Delvegardians walked in, among them were the Block Master from the Delvegardian Yards of Ruthfyord. There were seats around the round table still empty, the room was fit for a 100 dwarves, and the room itself was so ancient that there was a time when every nation only sent one person to sit around this table.
It was perhaps a miracle that there were still 20 left to occupy what was left.
¡°Our focus should be on our blessings! These blessings want us to repopulate our destroyed worlds. Expansion shouldn¡¯t be the goal.¡± A dwarven city guardian stated. The man likely never left his city and its surrounding regions in his entire life, so this trip was his furthest. ¡°In our glory days, we had cities that covered so much of the surface.¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Alka inwardly sighed. He heard this argument so many times. Dwarven insularity. Dwarven selfishness. Dwarves and their cities built into the mountains so they could hide away. Dwarves could be extremely generous in some ways, but their affections were reserved only with friends and other dwarves.
All these other worlds were people they didn¡¯t know.
There was no reason to care.
The dwarves shouted. It was their normal way of diplomacy.
Alka nodded, ¡°As the Order¡¯s representatives to the Darkgards, I must repeat that we do not impose this duty on the cities. But, we will ask for volunteers, we will recruit from the talented. The Great War against the demons is our chance to take the fight back to the creatures that reduced your worlds to a fragment of what it was.¡±
For the Delvegardians, diplomacy was a show of strength. The strong imposed, and the weak followed. But once they were freed of the shackles of their world, there were other ways.
Alka went on the usual pitch, it was a well practiced one, honed by priests and matriarchs. About the Great War, about how the fires burned even the dwarves. About thinking long term.
To win over dwarves, it needed to be seen as profitable in the long term and also, appeal to the underlying dwarven need for superiority.
¡°I have spoken to some of your warriors.¡± A City Guardian countered. ¡°But I wonder, what is in it for those who join this battle?¡±
Alka didn¡¯t have to answer, because another city Guardian answered on his behalf. ¡°Levels. Have you been hiding within your city for so long that you¡¯ve forgotten this is a great opportunity for our people to gain levels? We become stronger, and we learn how to make better weapons and tools. These are dwarves from another world!¡±
¡°And our way of life?¡± That first City guardian asked, but the way they talked was rough. Brutish. ¡°I understand the need for levels, but our finest warriors will be sent to hellworlds, and what is left of our home?¡±
¡°Our home is no longer in danger!¡± The second City Guardian countered.
¡°That sort of thinking is why so many once-glorious dwarven cities fell into ruin. Who knows if the demons return tomorrow? If they want our warriors, I permit them to only take our youngest and freshest. Our experienced warriors must stay with us.¡±
Alka smiled, that played right into how the Order liked things. The Order was very much an institution that favored internal promotion. Young warriors he could train were perfectly what he wanted. With the Blessings of Darkgard, there would be many such young blood over the next few decades to feed the Order¡¯s insatiable need for warriors. ¡°As the Order¡¯s representative, I am agreeable to only recruit those below Level 40. But as always, we ask for full access to the dwarven cities so that we can reach the weak and the young.¡±
The entire room was silent, as their minds tried to wrap their heads around it. These cities were so used to competition for the best that Alka¡¯s deal stumped them.
They were not stupid.
¡°Wait, wait.¡± The first City Guardian realized a little too late that they had played right into Alka¡¯s preference. ¡°You want our young?¡±
¡°Yes. Talents that we can train and fit into our existing Order is exactly what we want.¡±
***
The planet was rotating once more, though it was still slower than it once was. Darkgard III took five times as much time as it once did before the demons. The sun also no longer burned with the hostility it once did.
Instead, with each passing day, it was as if the sun grew milder. Softer. The presence of Dwarven Druids from Treehome helped the surface regrow the trees that had once lived. Many of their seeds were dormant, dried out, and desiccated deep in the hot, dried rock.
Water also began to flow once more. The stopped planet caused water to freeze on the dark side of the world, while on the light side, the harsh sun evaporated all remaining water and turned them into clouds.
¡°What do you think?¡± Alka smiled as he watched a group of dwarves leave their old cities and out into the surface. The surface was so alien. So many of them had not seen the surface, and even then, the harsh, still healing surface was a real sight.
¡°Amazing!¡±
¡°It could be much better.¡± Alka said. ¡°You have old paintings that depict these old sceneries. In a few years, the land will heal and those scenes can be seen once more.¡±
¡°The sun is sooo bright!¡± The dwarves blinked heavily. Some were not used to the sun that they turned away. A few used ancient parasols. They would need to start making more of those soon.
For the Delvegardian warriors, this was their reward. A few cried quietly, and tried to hide it by drinking some strong rum. The former Block Master watched. ¡°Do you see this when you help the other worlds?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not usually here to witness it.¡± Alka nodded. ¡°I have many places to be, though now we are merely waiting for time.¡±
The block master understood. This sort of joy and satisfaction was something that would stick within the warrior¡¯s souls. A reason for why they would fight when needed. A reason to push harder even when the demons throw everything at them.
¡°A pity that so many of these folks that share our blood do not see it.¡±
¡°Our experiences form the basis for our actions, even if some of them are random.¡± Alka smiled, as the mages sent him a message.
The archives are ready.
***
¡°So, what do we find?¡± Alka rushed to the room where his little army of archivists and historians were busy. There were hundreds of notes and walls filled with diagrams and charts. They¡¯d been really busy.
¡°The three worlds used to share a single star. Darkgard I was the outermost world, and Darkgard II was the middle world. Whatever the Cores shared, it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°I expected that. What else?¡± Alka prompted the researcher to continue.
¡°They used to worship Eras and a god called Sulya. Eras is the god of knowledge and creation, while Sulya is the god of earth and the flesh. Some of these books speak of a tale where the death of Sulya caused a great madness to spread amongst Sulya¡¯s earthly creations and that turned them into demons.¡±
¡°How reliable is this thing?¡± Alka picked up the replica book and reread the ten or so pages over and over. ¡°This is a book on the creation myths of Darkgard...¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t seem like there was divine touch on it, so we cannot be sure. No, no, what¡¯s important is these three.¡±
The researchers flipped to a part where it spoke of an ancient great machine. A creation of the god Eras, forged from the floating metallic rocks of the great star sea.
A Sun-Ring.
¡°Eras created the Sun-Ring?¡±
¡°We are not sure if this is the same Sun-Ring, since the descriptions are vague and the design seems rudimentary. But it seemed to suggest that the Sun-Rings are layered, with people living within them.
The domain holder frowned. ¡°We didn¡¯t detect anything- But it is possible that the materials used to create such a powerful object also prevented us from finding them-¡±
¡°Maybe we should explore the Sun-Ring?¡± The archivist countered. ¡°At least, before we break it.¡±
¡°Hah. True.¡± Alka nodded. In the first attempt, Aeon was attacked by two demon kings. This time, they could most likely take on two demon kings and win. Exploration of the Sun-Ring should be possible. ¡°These descriptions say there are hidden chambers within the Sun-Ring-¡±
¡°It matches up to Aeon¡¯s experience. Aeon could only place a clone where there was soil underneath, and yet, that was only in certain parts of the Sun-Ring. There must be other pockets with other things inside.¡±
Alka walked and paced the room. It was true that the domain holders did not explore the entirety of the Sun-Rings. It was such a massive object that it would take a really long time to reach all the parts. So, it was entirely possible that there were other hidden chambers. ¡°In other words, there may be relics left behind from Eras or the Gods that created such things. But the demons were able to repair the barrier even when we cracked it.¡±
¡°Repair is not the same as creation.¡± The archivist theorized.
¡°True, true.¡±
¡°It looks like I have to convince my fellow friends to go for a Sun-Ring-sized dungeon exploration.¡±
¡°A dungeon dive.¡±